1. VCGS Compliance Review Program
VA National Cemeteries
in Indian Country
Mr. George D. Eisenbach, Jr.
Acting Director
Veterans Cemetery Grants Service
June 6, 2013
Josh de Leon, VCGS Director
John Gardner, Program Specialist
March xx, 2013
Veterans Cemetery Grants Service

2. Agenda Caring for our History Serving Veterans and Families
-Benefits and Eligibility
-Cemeteries in Indian Country
Improving Cultural Competency
-Diversity/Special Emphasis Programs
-Emerging Burial Needs Study
Q &A

3. at Santa Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico
Caring for our History
Navajo code talker Roy Hawthorne stands next to the code talker monument unveiled March 21, 2013
at Santa Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico
(Photo credit: Eddie Moore/ABQ Journal)

4. Serving Veterans and Families: Our Responsibilities
150 Years of Keeping the Promise
Serving Veterans and Families: Our Responsibilities
Provide burial space for Veterans and eligible family members, and maintain national cemeteries as national shrines
Administer the Federal grants program for construction of State and Tribal Veterans cemeteries
Furnish headstones, markers and medallions for the graves of Veterans around the world
Administer the Presidential Memorial Certificate program
Administer the First Notice of Death program

5. Serving Veterans and Families: Burial Benefits
150 Years of Keeping the Promise
Serving Veterans and Families: Burial Benefits
Gravesite
Opening and closing of the grave
Grave liner
Perpetual care of the gravesite
Headstone, marker or medallion
U.S. Flag
Presidential Memorial Certificate

6. Headstones, Markers and Medallions
150 Years of Keeping the Promise
Headstones, Markers and Medallions
Flat Marker
Medallion
Upright Headstone
Niche Covers
“In Memory of…”

7. Emblems of Belief Medicine Wheel (left);
Native American Church of North America (below);
Four Directions (bottom right)

8. Presidential Memorial Certificates
150 Years of Keeping the Promise
Presidential Memorial Certificates
For active duty and
honorably discharged
Veterans
Inscribed with the
deceased’s name
Bears the
President’s signature

9. Serving Veterans and Families: Eligibility Criteria
150 Years of Keeping the Promise
Serving Veterans and Families: Eligibility Criteria
Any member of the U.S. Armed Forces who dies
on active duty
Any Veteran who was discharged under qualifying conditions (other than dishonorable)
National Guard members and Reservists with 20 years of
qualifying service, who are entitled to retired pay
Spouses and minor children
Certain eligible parents (Corey Shea Act)

10. National Cemeteries in Indian Country
Fort Richardson National Cemetery,
Anchorage, Alaska
Fort Gibson National Cemetery, Oklahoma

11. National Cemeteries in Indian Country
Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent, Washington
National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix

12. National Cemeteries in Indian Country
Santa Fe National Cemetery,
New Mexico
Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas

13. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise
National Cemeteries in Indian Country MT ND ME ID WY WI UT NV
National Veterans Burial Grounds/Rural Initiative

14. Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Tribal Government grants
- Law enacted December 2006
Made tribal organizations eligible for cemetery establishment grants on tribal trust lands
-First grants awarded in 2011
4 awarded to-date; 5 on FY13 priority list
-Awarded annually, in same manner as states
-Opportunity to serve additional Veterans

15. Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Tribal Veterans cemeteries aim to honor tribal customs and traditions, such as:
Use of tribal symbols
Longer committal services
Graveside burials
Areas to tie-up horses
Areas for traditional burials

16. Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
First Operational VA-funded Tribal Veterans Cemetery
Monte Calvario Cemetery, Tucson, Arizona
Pascua Yaqui Tribe
Dedicated Veterans Day, 2011

17. Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Grant Award and Groundbreaking Ceremony
Sicangu Akicita Owicahe (Veterans Cemetery)
Near Mission, South Dakota
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
September 19, 2011

18. Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2013
Sicangu Akicita Owicahe (Veterans Cemetery)
Rosebud Sioux Tribe

19. Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2013
Tribal Veterans Cemetery
Humboldt County, California
Yurok Tribe

20. Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2014
Lakota Freedom Veterans Cemetery
Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Oglala Sioux Tribe

21. Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Tribal grants on 2013 Priority List:
-Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, Wewoka, Oklahoma
-Big Sandy Rancheria, Auberry, California
-Navajo Nation, Chinle, Arizona
-Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Pawnee, Oklahoma
-Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, Fallon, Nevada
-Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, Tuolumne, Calif.

22. Residency vs. Tribal Requirements
National cemeteries allow all eligible veterans to be interred at national cemeteries
States have the option to have a residency requirement as an additional eligibility requirement for their cemeteries
-e.g., Must have lived in state for 2 years
Tribal governments may add tribal requirements
-e.g., Any Sioux Veteran may be interred

23. Veterans Cemetery Grants Service Contact List
Joshua de Leon, Director
(202)
Howard Orr, Project Manager
(202)
Tom Paquelet, Project Manager
(202)
John Gardner, Program Specialist
(202)

24. Improving Cultural Competency
NCA Executive Diversity Council/Special Emphasis Program Advisory Committee
-Strategic plan objective; stood up January 2013
-Establish and champion diversity
-Promote Federal workplace as model of cultural
competency
DC-area members of NCA’s Executive Diversity Council attend training

25. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise
Improving Cultural Competency
Veterans
serving
-Over 74% of
NCA employees
are Vets
-Highest % in
any Federal
agency
-Includes 400+
returning
Veterans from
Iraq and
Afghanistan
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Exp. Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal

26. Improving Cultural Competency
Increasing workforce representation of American Indians/Alaska Natives in NCA
-Doubled from FY
-Still underrepresented, though
Longstanding relationships with SAIGE, American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and Minority Access, Inc. to assist with AI/AN recruitment and retention

27. Improving Cultural Competency
Outreach, FY12 and 13
-National Congress of American Indians Annual
National Convention
-Gathering of Nations Pow Wow, Indian Trader's Market
-SAIGE Annual Training Conference
American Indian representation on Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials

28. Improving Cultural Competency
Emerging Burial
Needs Study
-Identify emerging
burial trends
-Identify Veteran
preferences
-Ensure burial
needs of Veterans
and families are met
Natural Burial Area
Courtesy Natural Burial Co-operative

29. Partners in Honoring Our Fallen Warriors
Native American Honor Guard,
Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis, South Dakota