WASHINGTON D.C. – The i’s are dotted, the t’s are crossed and the ink has dried on the Native American Indian Veteran federal congressional charter signed on March 14. The charter was originally introduced before Congress in 2020, however the idea for a NAIV federal charter was requested as early as 2004. The process to get the federal charter approved has taken 20 years in the making. One of the Native Americans veterans who has advocated for the NAIV to receive a federal charter is NAIV Region Five Commander Michael Coon. After years of advocacy and lobbying, Coon witnessed the historic signing for himself. Now, Native American veterans, regardless if they live on or off their reservation will have access to veteran services.
The signing ceremony featured remarks from legislation sponsors Senator Mike Rounds, Senator Ben Ray Luján and U.S. Veteran Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough. It also featured a Presentation of Colors and Ceremony Drum Group by the Kiowa Black Leggings Warrior Society, the Kiowa Women Warriors, the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache Veterans Organization, as well as the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Drum Society. Senator Rounds remarked that the charter will serve the best interest of all Native American veterans.
“Your hard work has paid off and the (NAIV) Charter is now a reality,” Senator Rounds said. “Now that the National American Indian Veterans’ Congressional Charter has been signed into law, hundreds of thousands of Native American veterans across the country are represented by an organization that can meet their needs.”
Coon remarked that the journey to getting the NAIV a congressional charter was a long one. It involved advocacy efforts on behalf of representatives from many tribes from across the nation. According to Coon, he was very impressed with the support the charter received from the Oklahoma tribes.
“You couldn’t ask for better representation from the state of Oklahoma,” Coon said. “It was overwhelming the emotion that I felt.”
“It felt like a dream come true, one that you thought that you would never see in your lifetime.” – Native American Indian Veteran Region Five Commander Michael Coon
NAIV National Commander Don Loudner (Hunkpati Sioux) was presented with the NAIV Charter documents. The 93-year-old is a Korean War veteran and was one of the early advocates for the NAIV to become federally chartered. Loudner’s appearance at the signing was particularly meaningful for fellow veterans because they were unsure if Loudner would be able to attend due to his health.
“His (Loudner) health and spirit are good,” Coon said. “He was really excited and everything for this. All the representatives from the Senate told Loudner ‘job well done’.”
Although the federal charter is a huge milestone for the NAIV, the work is not over for Coon, Loudner and other Native American veteran advocates. Now each NAIV Vice Commander and Region Commander will consult with each of the 574 federally-recognized tribes and address their specific needs for veteran services. Coon foresees rapid growth of the NAIV within the future. One of the next goals for the organization is to select a location for headquarters. According to Coon, the organization is looking at Oklahoma because it is centrally located.
As for Coon’s next goal in regards to his advocacy efforts, he is working on granting recognition for each Oklahoma tribe as a Purple Heart Reservation. Currently he is working with the Iowa and Choctaw Nations. Coon is in talks with Thlopthlocco Tribal Town’s leadership in becoming a Purple Heart Reservation next.
This is wonderful. The Oklahoma Chapters of the American War Mothers have been, and are still active. These Chapters are comprised of mainly Native American mothers. I was the Oklahoma State President for seven years. The Native American Veterans are deserving and should never be forgotten.