Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery breaks ground on Intertribal Monument

EXETER, R.I. (WLNE) — A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday for the Intertribal Monument Groundbreaking Ceremony at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

The monument is meant to honor the legacy of indigenous veterans who have been serving since the American Revolution.

“Indigenous people have the highest number per capita of service in the US Armed Forces,” Tomaquag Museum Executive Director Lorén Spears said.

The monument will be a granite block featuring a turtle engraving, with a field stone arch rising over it and the names of veterans engraved on the platform below.

A banner showing the monument’s design. (Tomaquag Museum)

Members of the museum were joined by the Honoring Indigenous Veterans Committee, veterans and their families, tribal leaders, and members of the community for the ceremony.

“As a proud Pequot woman, it is an honor to stand in this sacred place and share in this moment of unity and remembrance for our indigenous veterans,” Air Force veteran Candyce Testa said. “May this always be a place where stories of their sacrifices will be shared for generations to come.”

Construction of the monument will begin in the near future.

More information on the monument can be found here or by calling 401-491-9063.