In 2012, the Heard Museum created the first American Indian Veterans National Memorial. Located outside the Collector’s Room of the Heard Museum Shop, the memorial consists of several sizable sculptures by acclaimed Chiricahua Apache sculptor Allan Houser (1914-1994) and Santa Clara Pueblo sculptor Michael Naranjo. The 10-foot Unconquered II was Allan Houser’s final sculpture. Naranjo is a Vietnam War veteran who suffered an injury that rendered him blind.
Several bronze-colored panels detail the story of American Indians who have fought in conflicts from the 17th to the 21st centuries and pay tribute to American Indians who received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration. The panels’ descriptions begin with these words:
“The story of American Indian Warriors begins before there was a United States of America, and the Warrior Tradition continues rich and strong today. Honoring Warrior leaders is also a tradition that is an integral part of the story. In this spirit, the Heard Museum joins with those who keep the honoring tradition and tell the stories of bravery and sacrifice.”
One panel contains a poem, There is No Word for Goodbye written by Mary Tallmountain (1918-1994, Koyukon/Athabaskan). Tallmountain expresses the sentiment that in her culture, the concept of saying goodbye is replaced by the phrase, “Tlaa,” which means “See you later.” This epitomizes the belief in continuity of relations and the idea that physical separation does not undo emotional connections.
Another panel contains a drawing and an accompanying poem, “The Fear of Bo-talee,” by author N. Scott Momaday (Kiowa) from his 1992 book In the Presence of the Sun: Stories and Poems, 1961-1991.
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