The following article was printed in Military Tames magaine and is reprinted here with permission.
PubDate: 11/22/2004
Byline: By Jessica Lawson
Byline: Special to the Times
Publication: ASSOCIATION GUIDE
Native American veterans ID a niche to fill Formed association to
represent tribesmen who served in uniform
A chance encounter between two U.S. military veterans on the Internet led to the formation of an association representing the interests of Native Americans who have served their nation in uniform.
Launched this past July, the National Native American Veterans Association, or NNAVA, is the brainchild of Air Force and Navy veteran Tom Berry, who serves as the group's chairman. NNAVA's No. 1 priority, Berry said, is educating Native American veterans and tribes about veterans' rights, benefits and entitlements.
Although Berry came up with the idea for the association nearly two years ago, it was not until he met Air Force Reserve and Army veteran Stephanie McCalister on a Web site for Native Americans that NNAVA really began to take shape.
"I'd been kicking this idea around, and (Stephanie and I) kicked it back and forth online," Berry said. "We looked at what we would like to see in this organization, what it would mean to Native American veterans and the tribes themselves. ... One thing led to another, and the program is up and going."
McCalister, who is of Cherokee heritage and who belongs to several Native American Web sites, said she witnessed the topic of military service coming up in many chat-room discussions and postings on the Internet.
"It started coming out just how many (Native American veterans) there were," she said.
Indeed, she said, Native Americans account for less than 1 percent of the total registered population of the United States, yet they provide more military members per capita than any other ethnic group. At the same time, she added, "we utilize veterans benefits less than any other group."
All the more reason NNAVA is so vital, said Berry, who is affiliated with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. "It's important to educate and to get the Native American veterans to start using these veterans benefits, because they are bought and paid for" in terms of military service.
Berry said each Native American tribe has its own social, educational and housing programs for members. Currently, he said, most Department of Veterans Affairs benefits can be utilized by Native American veterans in addition to their tribal benefits.
"Economically, Native Americans are low on the totem pole, and by trying to get the Native American veterans to utilize the VA benefits in addition to tribal benefits, it allows them a better opportunity for education, for jobs, just for an overall improved quality of life," he said.
Interim board members will serve until June 2005, when a national Council of Elders will be elected at the association's first annual powwow, to be held in Oklahoma City.
For now, Berry said, the association has a dedicated volunteer staff of 10 to 12 people at any given time.
"The requirements for operating as a nonprofit corporation are really stringent," Berry said. "When you are trying to get everything up and running, it's just a lot of work. We're really lucky that our volunteers come from a wide variety of backgrounds. We have people who have jumped right on board and have volunteered their time and are working diligently."
Paperwork for NNAVA's incorporation has been filed with the Oklahoma secretary of state's office, Berry said.
And according to McCalister, NNAVA's acting recorder, the association just completed a very successful national charter membership drive Oct. 30. Currently, NNAVA boasts a membership spread over 25 states and U.S. territories, and including people still on active duty who are stationed domestically and overseas, she added.
"The response has been better than I had ever hoped for," Berry said.
In order to join the association, would-be members must provide proof of military service and of Native American heritage. The latter, McCalister said, can come in one of three forms: a certificate of degree of Indian blood; a tribal card from any federal, state or tribal entity; or signing the Affidavit of Native American Heritage found on the membership application portion of NNAVA's Web site, www.nativeamericanveteransassoc.org. Auxiliary and associate memberships also are available.
Starting the association has been hard work, Berry said, and not without its obstacles. Even something seemingly as simple as naming NNAVA presented difficulties. According to McCalister, NNAVA recently had to add "National" to its original name of "Native American Veterans Association" after discovering that the acronym for that name -- NAVA -- already was privately trademarked. The Native American Veterans Association is still the name that appears on the group's logo and is what they prefer for common usage, McCalister said.
But while this and other challenges have arisen along the way, both Berry and McCalister are excited about the assistance and opportunities NNAVA provides to its members.
"We now have a culturally based group for Native American veterans, because the culture really is very different from mainstream America," Berry said.
Indeed, McCalister said, there are many groups in existence that provide representation to veterans. But it is the unique population of veterans that NNAVA represents that makes the association so vital.
"Our particular population is cut off for various reasons and [doesn't] have access to benefits," she said, providing an example of Native American veterans who live without transportation on reservations far removed from VA medical facilities. "We want to change that."