Cherokee Tribe Breaks Ground on New Veterans Cemetery in North Carolina

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is set to break ground next week on a new veterans cemetery in North Carolina.

The project has been in the works for some time, with the tribe purchasing land in the Wolftown community before receiving federal approval. Thirteen veterans have already been interred at the site, which is currently an open field. The Department of Veterans Affairs provided a $3.7 million grant this year and officially designated the site as a national cemetery, making it the 15th of its kind in the United States.

The cemetery is named the Burgess-Oocumma National Tribal Veterans Cemetery, honoring two tribal members who died in the Vietnam War. The site is designed to hold 250 in-ground burials and 190 columbarium spaces. These spaces are reserved for members of federally recognized tribes and their eligible family members. The design incorporates specific cultural elements to reflect Cherokee heritage. A ceremony building will feature seven sides, a number considered sacred by the tribe. Water and fire features will be included as well, referencing their use in sacred ceremonies.

Gerard Ball, the program director for the tribe’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, explained the cultural significance of the layout. "Everything in it is done in the Cherokee way," Ball said. "The graves face to the east, so the sun rises on our veterans and sunsets to their backs." Signage throughout the site will be written in both English and Cherokee. The grounds will be landscaped with trees and shrubs native to the Southeastern United States, where the Cherokee historically lived.

A large memorial wall will serve as a central feature of the cemetery. This wall will list the names of Cherokee veterans who died in wars but are buried in other locations, such as national cemeteries in Belgium or France. Ball stated that listing their names on the wall provides a form of closure for their families by symbolically bringing them home. The wall ensures that all tribal members who served are represented at the site, regardless of where their remains currently rest.

The tribe is also working with the government to allow the burial of Cherokee who died at church and government-run boarding schools. These institutions operated from the mid-19th century into the 20th century and were used to force Native American children to assimilate into Anglo-American culture. Many children died at these schools from disease or other causes. If family members request it, the remains of those buried at school sites can be moved to the new cemetery.