This one ignored for obvious reason: Because no whites in government located the 4,000 missing. Because the Oklahoma National Guard participated in it. Because when the the sheriff deputized white men handing them guns he said when swearing them in “Get a gun and get a njjjjr.” Because the survivors were put in concentration camps after 1,000 homes of their were burned down and looted (by whites). Because they woundn’t let them leave the concentration camps without a “refugee card.” It was the government officials leading the terrorism, leaving everyone homeless, not paying any reparations or trying to make amends for destroying lives and killing, and putting responsibility on the victims for the act and to rebuild.
But you’re large point is well taken. The politics of remembrance is an excellent idea and shapes other holidays and the key concept relies around the militarization of the US and building of the military industrial complex during and after WWII. Memorial Day originated in England and meant to remember the dead, period, my mom said from her remembrance of it from childhood during WWII. Like many holidays previously (Easter and Christmas) the idea was to create unity and sense of empire, overlaying current ideology over previous ones, transforming the holiday like Memorial Day was. Easter was a pagan spring holiday that became associated with Christianity and Christmas was a winter solstice holiday that became associated with Christianity as well. Christianity was adopted in 323 as a way to solidify a single belief into a decaying Roman Empire. At that time, Europe was still mostly Gallic speaking and Germanic speaking, with no writing system, written alphabet, or religion yet. When it started transforming into “civilized countries” in the next few hundred years, Christianity was a way to spread the alphabet and writing, as well as moral code and those pagan holidays recognized for centuries were morphed into Christian to get local buy in to the religion. Our new religion just happens to involves soldiers and the military complex, which is why we now have Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Remembrance day, Flag Day—and even Independence Day seems a little militaristic. That analysis is just my two cents, and there are probably other reasons besides empire creation. I’ll need to think and research more on this great idea.