Native American Veterans: Burial Benefits and Honoring Service

Native American and Alaska Native communities have among the highest rates of military service of any population in the United States, and their veterans qualify for the same federal burial benefits as anyone else who served — plus, for many families, their own tribal traditions of honoring that service.

Standard VA burial benefits

Regardless of tribal affiliation, honorably discharged veterans are generally eligible for:

• Burial in a national cemetery, at no cost to the family, including a gravesite, opening and closing, and perpetual care
• A government headstone or marker, whether buried in a national, state, tribal, or private cemetery
• A burial flag to drape the casket, which the family keeps afterward
• A Presidential Memorial Certificate, recognizing the veteran’s service

These benefits are determined by military service record, not by race, tribal enrollment, or where someone chooses to be buried.

Burial on tribal or family land

Many Native families choose burial on tribal land, a family cemetery, or another meaningful location instead of a national cemetery — entirely a personal and family decision. Several of the federal benefits above, like the headstone/marker and burial flag, can often still be arranged regardless of burial location. It’s worth confirming current details directly with the VA or a tribal veteran service officer, since specific program rules can change.

Tribal veteran honor traditions

Beyond federal military honors, many tribal nations have their own distinct ways of recognizing a veteran’s service and their passing — separate ceremonies, songs, or roles that may be woven into a funeral alongside (or instead of) standard military honors like a flag-folding ceremony or rifle salute. These traditions vary enormously between nations and are best understood by asking family members or a tribal veteran organization what would be meaningful for a specific person, rather than assuming a general practice applies.

The National Native American Veterans Memorial, dedicated in Washington, D.C. in 2020 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, reflects just how significant and distinct this history of service is across tribal nations.

If this is your own planning

If specific veteran honors — tribal or federal — matter to you, writing them down clearly for your family removes any guesswork later. Our Final Day Plan has a section for exactly this.

Specific benefits, programs, and eligibility rules can change — please confirm current details directly with the VA or a tribal veteran service officer before relying on this article for a specific situation.