Oklahoma Representative Files Native American Veterans Memorial Bill

An Oklahoma congressman has introduced legislation to build a memorial to Native American veterans in Washington, D.C.

Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin says his bill would amend existing law to allow the National Museum of the American Indian to build the memorial on the museum's grounds on the National Mall. Current law authorizes a memorial inside the museum, but Mullin says there isn't enough room.

Mullin is a member of the Cherokee Nation and sits on the House Natural Resources subcommittee on Indian and Alaskan Native Affairs. He says passage of the bill is vital to build a memorial to Native Americans who fought for the nation's freedoms.

Ten co-sponsors have signed on to the bill, including fellow Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation.