Chairman Keene Speaks to Veterans
The following was taken from Chairman Keene’s address to veterans during the Fourth of July Veterans Dinner at Seven Feathers Casino Resort.
2024 is a significant year for veterans for many reasons. Today we are holding the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe’s 24th annual Independence Day celebration for our
brave veterans. This tradition has been in place since 1999, however we canceled for one year during the COVID pandemic.
The Fourth of July also celebrates the 248th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This year is also the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Operation at Normandy in World War II.
2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act. It’s hard to believe but Native Americans have only been considered citizens of the United States for 100 years. Historians say that at the time that President Calvin Coolidge signed the citizenship bill in 1924, he did so because of the inspiring numbers of Native Americans who enlisted in the military during World War I.
At that time in America, many of those brave Indigenous people had been forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands. Their families were torn apart by residential boarding schools. And some, like our ancestors of the Cow Creek Umpqua, were warned to never practice their cultural traditions in the open again. Still, Native Americans were motivated by patriotism and answered the call to serve the United States of America, just like all of you.
All of you experienced that same feeling of patriotism and responsibility when it came time for you serve in the armed forces. Today and every day we truly thank you for your service.
This has been a very important year for the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe and the State of Oregon when it comes to giving back to our veterans. We began a special partnership with the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs to create a collaborative network dedicated to supporting Tribal veterans.
Our agreement established a Tribal Veterans Service Program, created to connect veterans together and with services to assist them after their military service. Within the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe, almost six percent of our Tribal adults identify as veterans.
This was a need that we saw and listened to. Our veterans told us they were having difficulty with records, establishing benefits and especially needing help when it came to experiencing crises. Mental, physical and social health of veterans is something we cannot ignore.
Our veterans sacrifice their bodies, careers, families and mental health all in the name of the country they love and the freedoms they protect.
We who enjoy those freedoms must do more for our veterans who have done so much for us. Expressing gratitude and thanks to a veteran for their military service is meaningful, but how else can we give back?
We can support veterans by advocating for more programs that benefit them and their transition back into civilian life. Programs that help them with financial management, education and skills training, rehabilitation for injuries, and employment opportunities. We can hire veterans and seek out veteran-owned businesses. We can also volunteer our time to organizations that support veterans or make a donation.
Many veterans experience mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety as a result of their service. Those conditions can also affect the families of veterans. We must not forget that mothers, fathers, caretakers and children also bear a burden when a loved one signs up for military service. Supporting a veteran is more than just helping one individual. It is supporting their entire family.
To those who have defended and protected the country, we are grateful for your sacrifice and profound service to our community. With respect and gratitude, thank you for your service to your community, the United States of America and for the liberty each of us enjoy every day as Americans and Native Americans.
