Oglala Sioux Tribal Veterans Cemetery

In 2012, Wilbert Cemetery Construction completed the installation of 500 double depth lawn crypts and 672 columbarium niches at the Oglala Sioux Tribal Veterans Cemetery on the Pine Ridge Reservation where more than 4,000 veterans live. 

Built with a $6.5 million grant, the new cemetery is located eight miles east of Kyle, South Dakota. It hosts a main building for brief services, and a grave locator, making it easy for families to find their loved ones. There are rooms for administration, technicians, a separate room for color guards and military honors for veterans; operation and maintenance equipment, and golf carts to transport the elderly. The cemetery will be developed over a 110-year plan on 120 acres set aside by the tribe. The first phase is complete; 18 of the first 49 acres are ready for the first 10 years.

Image: Color guards and veteran’s posts from Cheyenne River, Little Eagle, Standing Rock Reservation, Rosebud and Wanblee on Pine Ridge at the dedication of the cemetery in July 2014. In keeping with Lakota traditions, many of the attendees arrived to the dedication ceremony on horseback. The new cemetery design incorporates the idea that horses may accompany deceased veterans and includes an area to hitch horses. 

Photo Credit: Indian Countrytoday Media Network