VA Office of Tribal Government Relations Newsletter ~ January/February 2019

Hello and welcome to the latest VA Office of Tribal Government Relations (OTGR) newsletter. Can you believe it’s March? I know it’s already been quite a winter for most of the country. We’ve seen record snowfall and many areas are bracing for more frigid temperatures and precipitation in the coming days. I am encouraged by the calendar which tells us that spring is a mere three weeks away and we’ll finally get to thaw out and see new growth all around us.

The Department of Veterans Affairs was, fortunately, not closed during the government shut down, so Veterans continued to be served and our team was able to proceed with scheduled meetings, outreach and training engagements with tribal partners and programs. It was challenging without our federal family partners (IHS, HUD, BIA) but everyone is back to work and we are collectively moving forward.

In recent weeks, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to conduct interviews with Tribal Veteran Service Officers (TVSOs) and tribal Veterans program staff from nine different tribes. You’ll find two of the interviews below, one with Geri Opsal, TVSO for the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate in South Dakota and another with R.E. Lucero, who assists Veterans and their families of the Ute Indian Tribe in Utah. The TVSOs and Veterans program staff shared helpful information about the structure and organization of their respective tribal Veterans programs, illustrating how some TVSOs attained accreditation status as service officers whereas other tribes prefer to rely on local partners to assist with Veterans claims. Sharing their best practices, I think you’ll find the interviews interesting, informative and helpful, especially if you are working on developing or enhancing Veterans services programs within tribal communities. Everyone interviewed has a diverse history and background, so I think you’ll enjoy getting to know them better. We will roll out more interview profiles in subsequent newsletters.

Switching gears, our OTGR team will be on the go during March. This coming week Mary Culley and Peter Vicaire will be here in DC to assist with the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) Impact week Veterans Committee meetings. Later in the month (March 20-21), Mary Culley will be working with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma as well as the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Benefits Assistance Service, Muskogee Regional Office, State of Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, the Indian Health Service and other key local partners to host an onsite claims event. For more information, contact [email protected]. Meanwhile, Peter will be in Des Moines, IA, assisting with the travelling Smithsonian exhibit, “Patriot Nations: Native Americans in Our Nation’s Armed Forces” and then in Missoula, MT, to be on a Veterans Law panel hosted by the University of Montana. More information on that event can be found below in this newsletter.

Homana Pawiki and Terry Bentley have been busy lining up VA health and benefits subject matter experts for regional CMS ITU trainings and plans are in the works for additional claims events and Tribal Veterans Representative trainings. Homana has seventeen claims events scheduled for the Southwest while Terry has held one TVR training in California and has four more coming up within the next few months, to be held during the remainder of the fiscal year. Please contact us for a final schedule to include dates, times and locations.

In Homana’s region, on March 29, 2019, the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration Shiprock Agency will be hosting an event from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The next day, March 30, the Gila River Indian Community Office of Veteran and Family Services is hosting a veteran event from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Casa Blanca Multi Service Center. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Looking beyond March, we will likely be hosting tribal consultation sessions (notices forthcoming) on various topics during the year. We received many inquiries and requests for presentations focusing on various provisions of the Mission Act, in particular Section 403 which provides for 150 VA-funded medical residents to work in IHS and Tribal Health Program facilities.

We would also like to share the news that our friend and colleague from the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), Mr. Howard Orr, who worked closely with the NCA tribal and state cemetery grant program, retired at the end of February. Howard was involved with the tribal cemetery grant program since its inception, having worked on the first VA-funded tribal cemetery grant project with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe approximately 8 years ago and working with tribes (now up to almost 13) ever since that time. Howard’s professionalism, warm spirit and dedication to serving Veterans as well as working collaboratively with tribes was recognized multiple times at the tribal, federal and state level during his career with VA. He will be missed, but we wish him all the best as he begins this new chapter.

In closing, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. I encourage all our readers to take time (every day really) but remember on this day to welcome home and thank the Vietnam Veterans in our lives for their service. I don’t think they can ever hear enough “welcome homes.”

We always like to hear feedback from our readers, so if you have recommendations for content, or questions, please email us at [email protected].

Stephanie

Links to non-Federal services are provided solely as a service to our readers. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and none should be inferred. VA is not responsible for the content of the individual organization web pages found at these links nor the information provided on these events by organizations or individuals. 2

Your Service. Our Mission Campaign: 32 Veterans

Events in 24 Tribal Communities

Here’s an article which ran in the VA Insider on February 19, 2019

This time last year, VA was getting ready to launch a nationwide campaign to roll out veteran disability enrollment claim events with 24 tribal communities. The campaign, “Your Service. Our Mission: Bringing Benefits Home,” kicked off March 2018 and wrapped up with a total of 32 events spanning 11 states. One of the most significant highlights was the amount of VA benefits approved for tribal veterans who may not have otherwise received VA benefits due to the rural geographical location of the tribal community. More than 1,100 veterans participated and submitted 730 claims. One tribal veteran’s compensation tripled while another received a check for $20,000 in back pay.

“Our main focus was to work with tribal governments to encourage and assist veterans across Indian Country to come and apply for the benefits they earned through their military service,” said Stephanie Birdwell, director, VA’s Office of Tribal Government Relations. “This helps VA enhance and improve the experience for all veterans and their families.” Birdwell is quick to point out that the presumptive condition campaign would not have been successful without the support of VA’s Benefits Assistance Service, VBA Regional Office leadership and staff, State Departments of Veterans Affairs, and national Veteran Service Organizations.

VA benefits staff, service officers, and health care personnel were on hand at each event to review claims on the spot, with the goal of completing the claim same day. “VA’s Benefits Assistance Service worked closely with tribal government leaders to roll out these claims events,” said Mike Frueh, executive director, VA’s Benefits Assistance Service. “We focused on veterans and their widows with presumptive disabilities, in addition to those who are pension eligible.

“Many tribal veterans and families may not realize VA presumes that certain medical conditions are related to military service, although these conditions may first appear after discharge,” said Frueh. “In addition, a spouse may be eligible for certain benefits when a veteran dies as a result of what VA calls presumptive disabilities.” VA reached out to more than 500 tribes with announcements about the campaign and an offer to host an event.

“While we initially had interest from 20 tribes, word spread and tribes saw the tremendous benefit of the events,” said Birdwell. “In the end, we reached 24 tribal communities, with some requesting multiple events in different locations to reach more people.”

Hosted by VA and the Navajo Nation, Indian Country’s first presumptive claims event took place last March at the communities of Many Farms and Cottonwood/Tselani, Ariz. During this two-day outreach event, 88 participants were assisted and 49 claims for benefits were processed by VA employees.

“As an outreach specialist, I always enjoy getting out of the office and working directly with the veterans we serve,” said Monica Cabrera, public affairs officer, Phoenix VA Regional Office. “Having the opportunity at Many Farms and Cottonwood was rewarding for me emotionally and professionally. Veterans have contributed significantly to the economic sustainability of Indian Country, and I hope they left the event knowing how appreciative we are for their service.”

VA worked alongside the following tribal communities to host Presumptive Condition events: Copper River Native Association (Alaska); Native Village of White Mountain (Alaska); Tule River Tribe (Calif.); Walker River Paiute Tribe (Nevada); Siletz Tribe (Oregon); Nooksack Indian Tribe (Washington); Bay Mills Indian Community (Michigan); White Earth Nation (Minnesota); Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Wisconsin); Osage Nation (Okla.); Seminole Nation of Oklahoma (Okla.); Eastern Shawnee Tribe (Okla.); Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (Okla.); Kiowa Tribe (Okla.); Kewa Pueblo (N.M.); Pasqui Yaqui Tribe (Ariz.); Tohono O’odham Nation (Ariz.); San Carlos Apache (Ariz.); Navajo Nation (Ariz.); White Mountain Apache Tribe (Ariz.); Pueblo of Pojoaque (N.M); and Taos Pueblo (N.M.).

Planning is underway to hold more claims events across Indian Country in 2019. To learn more about VA tribal government programs and services, visit https://www.va.gov/TRIBALGOVERNMENT/locations.asp.

VA Reimburses $91 Million to IHS and Tribal Health

Programs

Tribal health programs interested in entering into a reimbursement agreement with VA for serving veterans should send an initial note of interest to: [email protected]

Native American Affairs Grant Funding Opportunity

Here’s a letter from Jeannie Hovland, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Affairs/Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans

I am happy to share with you that our 2019 Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) are now published and live! The FOAs spell out the requirements of applying for and carrying out an ANA grant. Our training and technical assistance teams are available to offer free technical assistance to all potential applicants throughout the process. The following funding opportunities are now available: • Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance (P&M) • Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance - Esther Martinez Immersion (EMI) • Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) • Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (ERE) • Social and Economic Development Strategies for Alaska (SEDS-AK)

Applications are due April 15, 2019 (please note that this date is subject to change; refer to the opportunity on Grants.gov for all official updates). You can get started by downloading the FOAs from www.grants.gov. If you’re not certain about which FOA to apply for, you can read descriptions of our three main program areas on our website. In addition, we encourage you to check out the resources page on our website, including the Pre-Application Training Manual, which helps applicants with “nuts and bolts” information on the federal application process and ANA FOAs.

As soon as you’re able, you should be sure your organization has established a DUNS number and is registered for both the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and www.grants.gov. Each year, applications are disqualified because applicants didn’t have their registrations setup in time. In addition, all users who are working on your application must have accounts set up on the Grants.gov Workspace.

I look forward to another successful application cycle and cannot wait to see what amazing projects are proposed!

Thank you,

Jeannie Hovland [email protected]

There is only one ANA grant supporting Native Veterans, but ANA is interested in increasing grants to Native Veterans. If you have ideas, now is the time to put your creative energies together to see if you can get funds/resources to make your ideas come to life!

Senators Tester, Sullivan, Udall, Murkowski Team Up to Improve VA Outreach to Native American Veterans

Senators’ Bipartisan Bill Establishes a Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs

U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) are teaming up to improve the VA’s outreach, health care and benefits for Native Americans.

The Senators introduced the bipartisan VA Tribal Advisory Committee Act to establish a VA Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs. The Committee will facilitate communication and understanding between the VA and Tribal governments to better address the unique barriers Native American veterans face when accessing VA services.

“Native Americans have served our nation in uniform at a historically high rate, but many Native American veterans face barriers and roadblocks to the care and benefits they earned,” said Tester, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “Our bipartisan bill will improve the collaboration and communication between tribes and the VA and make sure Native American veterans have a voice in crafting solutions that work best for all veterans living in Indian Country.”

“Last fall, Secretary Wilkie and I hosted a productive roundtable with Native veterans on the health care and access challenges impacting this special, patriotic group in Alaska and across the country,” said Senator Sullivan. “I’m pleased to have used these ideas and suggestions to shape this legislation that will give greater voice to a community with a proud history of bravely answering the call to serve, even during the darker times in our nation’s history.”

“Native veterans in New Mexico and across Indian Country who put their lives on the line deserve not just our gratitude but unbarred access to the VA services we promised them,” said Udall, Vice Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. “This bipartisan legislation to establish a VA Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs will promote meaningful government-to-government consultation with Tribes and will create solutions to ensure VA programs work for all Native veterans.”

“America’s first people have served America in distinction in every conflict for the past two centuries. Yet, it seems it is only in this past decade that the VA has been paying special attention to the needs of Native veterans, many of whom live in the most remote corners of the country, hundreds of miles from the nearest VA facility—places like Bethel, Fort Yukon, Kotzebue, Nome and Utqiagvik, Alaska,” said Murkowski. “Out of respect for the government-to-government relationship between the VA and our nation’s tribes, it is

appropriate that Native people have a seat at the table as the VA establishes its service priorities.”

The Senators’ VA Tribal Advisory Committee Act will establish a 15-member Committee comprised of a representative from each of the 12 regions of the Indian Health Service and three at-large Native American members. At least half of the Committee members must be veterans. The Committee will facilitate communication between the VA and Tribal governments, meet face-to-face with the VA Secretary to provide guidance on Tribal and Indian Affairs, and report to Congress its recommendations for legislation to improve Native American veterans’ access to VA health care and benefits.

The National Indian Health Board and National Congress of American Indians support the Senators’ VA Tribal Advisory Committee Act.

“The National Indian Health Board is pleased to see legislation introduced to help honor the government-to-government relationship between Tribes and the Department of Veterans Affairs,” said Andrew Joseph Jr., NIHB Board Member and U.S. Army veteran. “The Tribal Advisory Committee Act is an important first step in facilitating meaningful consultation between the Tribes and the VA. This will help fulfill the federal government’s obligation to provide health care to those who have earned our highest respect with their sacrifice – Native Veterans. NIHB looks forward to working with the bill’s sponsors as it moves through Congress.”

“Our tribal nations have always held our citizens that serve in the highest esteem,” said Jefferson Keel, President of the National Congress of American Indians and retired U.S. Army Officer. “Too often our American Indian and Alaska Native veterans have difficulty accessing the benefits they earned through their military service. The Department of Veterans Affairs Tribal Advisory Committee Act will help eliminate barriers that prevent our Native veterans from accessing those benefits.” The full text of bill can be found HERE.

Donald Warne, MD, MPH on Traditional Holistic Health and Spiritual Practices in Tribal Communities

Here’s a presentation Dr. Donald Warne (Oglala Lakota) provided at the University of North Dakota, School of Medicine. In the webinar, Dr. Warne discusses holistic health and how traditional primary prevention strategies can achieve better health outcomes, including the prevention of diabetes, cancer, and suicide.

This talk presents traditional healing concepts essential for improving resiliency and health outcomes in tribal communities, including suicide prevention. https://capture.med.und.edu/Mediasite/Play/7fdaa32676384f3a8170320f061174831d?f bclid=IwAR1Z0FMx76CTV19BnTpt4zCrTf8CIuDaWGo_w7CdTKAARYkkBmfSw41R3ps

Eagle Staff Legislation

Here’s a copy of the text (3 pages) from recent legislation, H. Res. 83 from the 16th Congress, 1st Session – regarding recognition of eagle staffs.

Q & A: Veteran Service Officers, Veterans Program Leadership and Staff: Serving the Men and Women Who Served Us

Please share a little about yourself, your tribal affiliation

Geri Opsal, Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe; USAF 1983-1987 Active Reserve status, honorably discharged in 1989, assigned to 561st TFS/Medic GAFB, CA

Do you have family/extended family members who served?

I come from a family, extended family and in-laws that served. My Great-Great Grandpa on my Dad’s (white) side served in the Civil War and has a Civil War head stone. I’ve had family members serve in every war/era, WWI, WWII, KOREAN, VIETNAM, COLD WAR, DESERT STORM, GULF, AFGHANISTAN. Although my brother was not a KIA of Vietnam he was a casualty of that War as he came home, lasted two years and committed suicide at age 23. I found him and did everything in my power, at age 16, to help him. This is why I went in the military to find out what is happening and how to help. I was not and never will let his death not change the life of someone else. I will always be here day or night for our Veterans (Akicita). We have a PTSD crisis line set up now and I became a board member of the Coteau Des Prairies Community Hospital in 2012 to advocate for safe rooms for our Veterans when they present after 7PM, when our Indian Health Service facility closes. I have an active duty USAF niece currently serving and a nephew just discharged from active duty Army OEF/OIF.

How long have you worked serving the Veterans of this community?

I have been the Tribal Veteran Service Officer since 26 July 2010- 8 short years

Tell us about the work you do/your program – what does a “day in the life” look like?

Every day is different.

Our focus is to accomplish the most we can for our veterans in any given day. I clock in daily at 7:30AM, review my emails and listen to any messages on our answering service. I return emails and calls then I start on some of the claims I am working on. My work involves counseling and assisting military veterans and their dependents or survivors. Additionally, it involves assisting and advising claimants in their pursuit of benefits from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies. My duties include studying and explaining State and Federal veterans’ legislation, regulations and procedures, consulting with medical care providers, preparing veteran’s benefit claims, and consulting with other government agencies to ensure that their clientele receive the maximum level of assistance and benefits to which they are entitled.

I also have veterans that stop in to check on a variety of things such as:

➢ Claims ➢ Overdue bills- disconnects ➢ No propane ➢ Telephone disconnections ➢ Veterans court ➢ NADL (VA home loan) paperwork ➢ Dependent issues, paperwork, forms, courts, etc.

➢ Widow calls- concerns during the arctic cold

➢ Veterans that need to be plowed out, driveways etc.

*Tax inquiries (I refer these to a professional) some veterans bring in anything

from the IRS.

During the day the additional list of things I work on include:

Cemetery administration paperwork

Executive committee paperwork

Code talker monument paperwork (secretary)

Coteau Des Prairies (CDP) Hospital Board

Ordering headstones

Serve as the Veteran selected to the South Dakota Housing Coalition by the South

Dakota Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Academy Selection Board by Senator Rounds X 5 YEARS

Honorings – Every year we have the FOLLOWING:

Vietnam Veteran Anniversary on 3/30 last year we had 93 sign in Bataan Memorial March- during 4th of July Wacipi (pow wow) – we march 3 miles from designated spot to pow wow, honorings say prayers for families, kicks off the wacipi, this is our 6th Bataan Memorial March in 2019 POW / MIA Day: September (third Friday) we have the honoring in front of tribal administration building where our monuments are located NOV VETERANS WACIPI: Dakota Magic Casino/over 400 dancers and 20 drums participate. Veteran Christmas Party: This is a blast, we had 130 veterans as well as our Field Officer and his boss attend this year

Other Duties, Responsibilities and Tasks

Our Tribal Veterans cemetery grand opening was held July 2018. The cemetery was funded by the VA cemetery grant program to states and tribal governments. As a result, it added more duties to my job. I had to sign up and get BOSS certified. BOSS 15

is the computer system that the VA National Cemetery Administration uses and this allows me to directly order headstones and work with the manufacturer. It cut down the headstone time from 3 months to as quick as 3-4 weeks. In addition to my VSO duties I do all the administrative work for our Veterans cemetery.

I had the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate (SWO) designated as a Purple Heart reservation. We had a large gathering – proclamation and now every entrance into the SWO the attached signs are posted.

Approximately how many Veterans live within or near the community? Do you have an idea as to era of service, gender?

We have over 1500 Veterans on our roster and I don’t have an accurate count of how many live in our community. We have over 80 serving active duty at this time, of those probably five are National Guard. I just completed a survey the South Dakota Western Housing Authority (SWHA) paid for with Big Water consulting out of Seattle, WA. This is to get better data collection regarding housing needs, location, service connection yes/no, dependents yes/no, unmet needs that I can assist with.

Are you a service officer? Are you affiliated with a national Veteran Service Organization?

I am a VSO and affiliated/accredited with the American Legion, American Ex- Prisoners of War, South Dakota Department of Veteran Affairs. I have my paperwork in for the TREA (The Retired Enlisted Association), VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), State of South Dakota Trip Program Training (TRIP is the acronym for this training and it stands for Training, Responsibility, Involvement, Preparation of Claims). The following puts TRIP training in context:

If yes, how long have you been a service officer and how did you become one? What steps did you have to follow?

Since July 2010, I was selected in an interview for the job and the only requirement is that you’re a veteran as defined in South Dakota Codified Law 33-A-2-1 or 33A- 16

2-2. Once selected you’re officially appointed for a 4-year term (SDCL)33A-1-22. Mine was done in motion form during a regular scheduled council meeting which reaffirms my position through Jan 6, 2020. You are required to take the Department of VA Trip Training which takes a good 40 hours and covers a wide variety of items, including HIPAA (HIPAA is the law governing privacy as it relates to medical records) etc. Basically it gives you a baseline understanding of what you will be doing.

Why are service officers important, how do they help Veterans?

They are so important to not only advocate for but to do the outreach and encourage the veterans to enroll in the VA health care system. Without the VSO they would be lost in the VA system, which has countless numbers of veterans they are to advocate for. We are the boots on the ground and I believe in my heart of hearts that we work for more benefits for the Veterans. We don’t sit and wait for them to follow up, we do mailings, letters, phone calls, etc. They are family and we want to ensure they are cared for.

What is the difference between accredited and/or certified?

I am an accredited representative of the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs (SDDVA) for preparation, presentation and prosecution of claims for veteran benefits. Accreditation is an honor that carries certain responsibilities. An accredited representative may inspect the claims folder of any claimant from whom the organization has a proper power of attorney but must observe the limitations imposed by VA regulations in disclosing information on the claimant and others. To follow the VA’s regulations and governing representation, one should refer to: 38 CFR § 14.626 through 4.635 which include VA standards of conduct for accredited individuals. Pursuant to section 14.629 (a) you must recertify to meet the criteria every 5 years.

What has been the best part of your job? What has been the most challenging or difficult part of your job?

The best part of my job is the Veterans, to see the smile on their faces, to know that you made a difference in their lives - to honor and give them the respect they deserve. Some of the most challenging parts of my job is to bridge the gap between the Native and Non-Native, whether it be at the VA or in our community when we collectively meet for Veteran events and to ensure that our brotherhood and sisterhood from the military continues. We are family and we will always be. The comradery to look out for one another.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Currently, South Dakota has 56 County VSOs serving the 66 counties in South Dakota and we have six Tribal VSOs. Since the original legislation in 1944 our state’s network of County & Tribal Veterans Service Officers and SDDVA personnel have assisted thousands of veterans and their family members with receiving the benefits that were earned through service to our country, and our job is nowhere near done. World events over the last several years have led to a whole new generation of veterans who will need our assistance for years to come. These young men and women were raised in a much faster-paced and technologically advanced environment than their fathers and grandfathers from previous wars and their needs and expectations are much different from those who served before them. Providing the professional level of service they will expect, well into the 21st century, is a challenge that our entire network must accept and be prepared for.

I just cannot express how much I have a passion for this job which isn’t a job to me; I live, breathe and constantly think of how can we do more, how can we attain and help the needs of our veterans. I also hold PTSD and suicide near and dear to my heart and I go that extra mile to check on my veterans. I will not have one go on my watch and if they do, I have to figure out what, why, just like I did at age 16. I know it’s not my fault now but I will never stop ensuring they know we are here for them day or night.

If you’d like to reach out to Ms. Opsal, she can be contacted via email: [email protected]

R.E. Lucero, Ute Indian Tribe

Please share a little about yourself and program.

I’m a member of the Ute Tribe and a U.S. Army Veteran, having served from 1980 – 2009, including service in Iraq. I was born in Tooele, Utah and went back and forth to and from the Uintah and Ouray (U & O) reservation (located in Northeastern Utah) growing up. My father was in the service from 1954-1957. He was in the 82nd Airborne Division and we lived near Fort Bragg, North Carolina for a few years and then moved back to the Uintah Basin where I was raised in Neola, Utah. As I grew older, I lived in Roosevelt, UT, with my grandfather during high school.

Tell us about the work you do.

I’ve worked the program for five years. I advise the people coming in where they can go to be helped with claims and if they need to file a claim, I provide or help 18

them obtain necessary military documents. I help family members process burial and head stone paperwork and assist with the details of military support for burial services. I do a lot of research on tribal Veterans. When I first came here I had 34 military documents (DD 214s) but when I started researching it, I located over 365 documented Veterans. When you make requests to the national archives and records center, if it’s been over 62 years, you don’t need the permission of the person or family to obtain records. If I can’t find a family member I’ll do a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain specific identifying information which helps to determine where they served and the type of discharge they had. It helps pull together the history of the Veteran.

Our office is located in the old Bottle Hollow Resort (which was a motel and convention center site years ago) as you enter Ft. Duchesne. The resort was pretty big here at one time and is now gone, but I built a Veterans Monument onsite and I am working on creating a military museum. We get a lot of tourists coming through, looking at the Monument.

Approximately how many Veterans live within or near the community?

There are about 50 Veterans who come and go, which includes one World War 2 Veteran, Two Korean War Veterans, 18 Vietnam Veterans and the remainder are from other eras of service.

Are you a service officer? Are you affiliated with a national Veteran Service Organization?

I’m a member of the VFW and Commander of Post 4519. I am not a service officer. We work with a service officer who comes this way the second Tuesday of each month and works out of an office located in nearby Roosevelt. I print and post the service officer schedule so if people have a claim or have a question that needs to be answered they can go meet him. He is based out of the State of Utah Department of

Veterans Affairs office located in Salt Lake City. I would like to become a service officer to help Veterans with their claims. I need to take a course, become certified and do training twice a year. The State Director of Veterans Affairs said he would connect me with his assistant and I need to follow up with him again.

I’d like to work the surrounding communities, Vernal, here in Ft. Duchesne,

Roosevelt. If I became the service officer, I could be a local hub and serve all

Veterans of this area, making it easier for them to file claims.

What has been the best part of your job? What has been the most challenging or difficult part of your job?

I really enjoyed building the Veterans Monument and getting to know the Veterans from the community. The Vietnam Veterans talk with me a lot and I like to go out and visit with them, especially the combat Vets who were “Boots on the Ground” during the Vietnam war. We have a lot in common, they come by and we share our experiences. Many of them haven’t been recognized for a long time. In Utah there was not a Vietnam Veterans Day so I traveled to Salt Lake City and met with the

Vietnam Veterans Association then we went to the Governor’s office and filed a petition. The petition passed, which was a very good thing, and we started to get our Vietnam Vets to participate during Vietnam Veterans Day. Now we’ve started doing our own recognition here with a Vietnam Veterans Pow Wow (coming up

March 23). We’re in our 3rd year we’re doing it and it’s the Vietnam Veterans doing the legwork. (National Vietnam War Veterans Day is March 29).

The most challenging part of my job has been getting people to cooperate with me.

I’ll send out requests for photos of Vets to put on our commemorative wall, then I get no response or maybe one or two. Sometimes the records of people’s service don’t always match up to the stories they share and those instances can be difficult, tense situations. It’s isolated here and can be frustrating at times. I would like to do things like a Veterans cemetery but it wouldn’t work here because people want to be buried with their family.

Ute Indians Veterans Park

Anything else you’d like to share? Yes, various things. The VA Salt Lake City is good and Veterans are treated well unlike in other locations that I hear about. The State of Utah Department of Veterans Affairs leadership is also good and doing the right thing for Veterans. That isn’t always true in other states.

When it comes to health care, the VA community care referrals are not clear and I’m not sure how that all works. When it comes to tribal Veterans and the VA/Indian Health Service MOU, no one I know understands how that all operates. Does that mean tribal Veterans can get service at the Indian Health Service that VA pays for? We could use some follow up training on that whole process. Sometimes Veterans will attend training held in New Mexico and other locations within the region but the trainings are more pertinent to what goes on in other states, not so much relevant to what happens in Utah or here at Ft. Duchesne. We could always use another Veterans services and benefits forum here, including updates and information from the Indian Health Service.

Thank you for your military service, Mr. Lucero and for your service to the Veterans of the Ute Tribe and surrounding communities.

If you’d like to reach out to Mr. Lucero, he can be contacted via email: [email protected]

Making of the Novel “Anumpa Warrior: Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I”

Here’s an article by Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer from the United States World War One Centennial Commission web site:

“Who has heard of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II?” Hands went up all around the room. “What about the Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I?” Blank stares.

This happened at every event where I spoke, or with friends, history buffs, or in casual waiting room conversations. A fantastic and monumental part of our American and military history was still unknown to the public. This is why I decided to write the novel Anumpa Warrior: Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I.

I can’t remember a time I didn’t know the story of the handful of Choctaws who used our language to save lives and help bring a swifter end to the First World War. I’ve written bits and pieces of their story throughout my writing journey, but couldn’t decide the point of view from which to tell the full story. When you write a novel, you get deep into the main character’s skin, deep into their thoughts, emotions, beliefs, doubts, and fears. I couldn’t do that with these real men who were known and loved by their descendants living today, so I chose to write the story from a fictional main character’s point of view. The story slowly fell into place from there. But one enormous hurdle still stood fast: research.

I began educating myself on WWI and quickly learned how little I knew about it beyond the black and white Sergeant York movie, a staple in my home when I was growing up. Getting a stack of books from the library and gathering a few from around the house, I immersed myself in a bird’s eye view of the war. I dug up first-hand accounts — journals, letters. Then I turned to the specific history of the unit most of the Choctaws served in — the 36th Division, 142nd Infantry, Company E. Advanced researchers like Dr. William Meadows of Missouri State University and Code Talker scholar along with Judy Allen, Historic Projects Officer for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, directed me to books and reports written by officers in the division and the chaplain of the 142nd. They also shared other resources like newspaper accounts about the Choctaw Code Talkers. The time came for me to expand my research into the world and into the trenches — literally.

At the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, I discovered a medical report in the archives with an actual message the Choctaws transmitted, and also a handwritten report by Captain Elijah W. Horner, commander of Company E. He details the horrendous battle at St. Etienne October 8-12, 1918 — the 36th Division’s first of two major engagements At NARA online, I discovered a report written by Choctaw Code Talker Corporal James Edwards where he describes shells landing all around him while he was acting as a runner, and how he felt no fear.

Then it was on to France, a research trip I’d only dreamed of. My traveling companion was Tiajuana Cochnauer, also a tribal member, who presented the Choctaw Code Talkers story at the National Association for Interpretation’s international conference in Reims. From there, we rented a car and hit the roads in the French countryside. Thanks to our wonderful guide, Roger Cook, we visited the places where Choctaws fought — and some died.

Roaming through shell craters, real and replica trenches, concrete German bunkers, lost villages, American cemeteries and monuments, centuries old cathedrals, and museums throughout northeastern France gave me a sense of how real the war still is to the French people, and how real it is to the Americans who care for the resting places of the boys who never came back from over there. I read as many names as I could on the marble white crosses and chapel walls in the WWI cemeteries, wanting to embed their memories in my own and prayed a prayer of gratitude for their sacrifice and the impact they had on the world — and on the freedoms and life I have today.

Standing on a hilltop in Voncq, we stared over the former battlefield of Forest Ferme — the location where Choctaw doughboys used their language to transmit critical messages that resulted in a swift and highly unusual battle of few casualties on October 27, 1918. The reclaimed farmland shone green and bright under the spring sunshine in April 2018. Centuries of American, French, and Choctaw history culminated there. Those resilient warriors were a part of a shared history of Choctaws fighting side by side with the French and Americans for over one hundred years.

Sgt. Otis Leader in the 1st Division — the only Choctaw Code Talker not in the 36th — is another critical piece of largely unknown WWI history. In 1917, he was selected by French government commissioned-artist Raymond Desvarreux to represent the “ideal American Doughboy.” Later in combat, he was wounded twice and gassed three times. General Pershing called Otis Leader one of the war’s “greatest fighting machines.” Tiajuana and I had the privilege of viewing the original painting by Raymond Desvarreux of Otis Leader at the Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel national des Invalides. We brought home a digital copy of the painting and, with permission from the museum, had a canvas replica made and presented it to our tribe. It hangs in the Choctaw Nation Museum at Tuskahoma, Oklahoma.

When asked why he enlisted, Choctaw/Chickasaw/Scotch/Irish Sgt. Otis Leader said it was to prove he was 100% American.

Who were the rest of these Choctaw men? I interviewed their descendants by phone and in their homes in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas to get a taste of their personalities, humor, and faith in God, and even heard a few stories of their battle experiences. I learned how they rarely talked about the war, yet I wonder what conversations they had among themselves in Choctaw while sitting on front porches on their allotment lands in Oklahoma. Thankfully, we have elders still living today for whom Chahta anumpa, the Choctaw language, is their first language and are passing it on.

World War I gives us an opportunity to reflect on changing times in the world. It was a critical turning point for America and all the cultures it holds in its heart. Among those cultures is the Choctaw Nation. Though Choctaws were punished for speaking their language in boarding school, they kept it on their tongues and used it to make history in the First World War.

Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer is an award-winning inspirational author, speaker and Choctaw storyteller of traditional and fictional tales based on the lives of her people. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian has honored her as a literary artist through their Artist Leadership Program for her work in preserving Trail of Tears stories. In 2015, First Peoples Fund awarded her an Artist in Business Leadership Fellowship. She writes from her hometown in Texas, partnering with her mother, Lynda Kay Sawyer, in continued research for future novels. Learn more about their work to preserve Choctaw history and culture at www.NativeCodeTalkers.com and Facebook.com/SarahElisabethSawyer

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St. Cloud VA Sweat Lodge Revival Underway After Year-Plus Lapse

Here’s an article by Nora G. Hertel, which ran in the Saint Cloud Times on 1/4/2019

The last sweat lodge ceremony at the St. Cloud VA Health Care System took place in August 2017, and there's an effort underway to revive the program. Use of the sweat lodge stopped after the previous spiritual leader died, wrote VA spokesman Barry Venable in an email. The VA is working to bring in a new spiritual adviser.

Gary Smith has been pushing for the return of the sweat lodge — it's what brought him to St. Cloud in 1993, he said. He served in the Marines in 1980s. "I know people have been asking about it," Smith said of the ceremonies. Plus, he got tired of seeing a sign posted for sweat lodge ceremonies every other week, when they weren't taking place.

The VA is looking for the next spiritual adviser through a competitive bidding process and legally negotiated contract, Venable said in an early December email. Those steps are required by federal regulations. "Once a spiritual adviser is secured, sweat lodge ceremonies can immediately resume," Venable wrote. "A recent inspection found that all required and culturally appropriate equipment and supplies are on-hand, and that very minor physical repairs to the sweat lodge structure are necessary prior to resuming ceremonies." Venable described the ceremonies as a place of "spiritual refuge and mental and physical healing."

The sweat lodge ceremonies at the American Lake VA Medical Center near Tacoma, Washington, help veterans reorient themselves and reunite with God, the creator, said Michael Lee, the American Lake ceremonial elder, by phone Thursday. When service members return from military service, they don't have a mission any longer, and they're expected to re-enter the mainstream, Lee said. Often veterans have a vision of what home will be like, but their world changes while they're gone.

The West Coast ceremonies help veterans cleanse bad energy and reintroduce good energy, Lee said. Veterans are smudged with various grasses, including sage and sweet grass, and treated with other medicinal plants and through other types of ceremonies. "We take them in to cleanse their spirit, to make them whole," Lee said. Coastal ceremonies are different from other traditions, he said. Sweat lodges are primarily used by Plains Indians.

It took eight years to find someone like Lee to take on the ceremonies at American Lake, he said. He recommends bringing in the community and elders for a talking circle when reviving a sweat lodge. "It takes a village to do what we do," Lee said. "You need others to help tend your fires." The St. Cloud VA anticipates — but can't guarantee — it will bring on a new spiritual leader in the next couple months, Venable said. Smith remains concerned the sweat lodge hasn't opened for nearly a year and a half, and he is hoping for the right person to take over leadership. "I want to make sure (the new medicine man) is on on point," Smith said. "It takes a special person." 25

International Traditional Games Clinics

The Traditional Games Society has trained many Native Veterans over the last 12 years and some have been placed into jobs on or near their homes in Montana, while some have also become traditional games teachers within the organization.

OTGR Central Region (IA; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; SD; WI; WY)

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