The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) proudly observes November as Native American Heritage Month as proclaimed by Gov. Tim Walz. There is a deep, rich Native American history in Minnesota, with these communities making essential contributions to the culture and economy of our state.

The area known today as the State of Minnesota is located on ancestral and contemporary lands that have been called home by Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial. This land is home to many Tribal Nations, including the Anishinaabe, Dakota, Ojibwe, Ho-Chunk, Cheyenne, Oto, Iowa, Hidatsa, Arikara, A’aninin, Cree, Blackfeet, Assiniboine, and the Sac and Fox peoples.

During Native American Heritage Month, MDVA joins the State of Minnesota in honoring our vibrant and diverse Native American cultures as we reconcile with the hostility of the past; and commit to appreciation, tolerance, reconciliation, understanding, friendship, and continued partnerships among all Minnesotans and the Native Peoples of this land.

In Minnesota, our Native American Veterans comprise 1.3% of our Veteran population. Native Americans have one of the highest records of military service per capita of any ethnic group. Yet less than 50% of eligible American Indian Veterans apply for benefits they have earned. The MDVA Tribal Veterans Service Officer initiative operates in partnership with the Governmental and Tribal agencies, the Governor's Office, Minnesota State Legislators and the Minnesota Native American Nations. MDVA is here to support all Veterans and our Field Operations team directly supports all 11 Native American Tribes in Minnesota through its Tribal Veteran Service Officers (TVSOs). In fact:

• Last year, MDVA’s TVSO program received the prestigious Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence Award from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA). The award highlighted MDVA’s best practices in developing effective programs to address one of the top-line issues, which is delivery of services to Tribal Governments serving Native American Veterans. This category was new in 2021 and MDVA won the first ever award in this category.
• Ceremonial traditions of Indigenous Peoples and vivid, generations-old stories about the land upon which MDVA is building its future Veterans Homes and Cemetery were shared during 2021 statewide groundbreakings. A special spiritual invocation, including music and Native American blessings, were delivered in Bemidji by Red Lake Nation Tribal Representative, Kelly Iceman. Redwood Falls welcomed Lower Sioux Community Member Lydia Conito, a Tribal elder and U.S. Navy Veteran, to talk about her own service and sacrifice – and that of many of her family members – as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Want to know more about Native American history in the U.S. Military?

• U.S. Army
• U.S. Coast Guard
• U.S. Marines
• U.S. Navy
• The National Guard
• Why we serve, Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces, National Museum of the American Indian
• The Remarkable and Complex Legacy of Native American Military Service, Smithsonian Magazine
• Navajo Code Talkers, Inventors of the Unbreakable Code, National Intelligence

To get connected to Veteran and community resources and arts/cultural organizations, check out these sites:

• MN Tribal Veteran Services Officers
• MN Indian Affairs Council
• MN Indian Tribes index
• Minneapolis American Indian Center
• University of Minnesota American Indian Studies (Resources and Links)
• Learn about Minnesota’s Native American poet laureate Gwen Westerman
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Center for Minority Veterans (CMV)
  • CMV’s quarterly newsletter – The Voice
• Media: Minnesota Native News, The Circle, Twin Cities PBS
• Museums: MN Historical Society – Native Culture and History, Minneapolis Institute of Art, National Museum of the American Indian, Heard Museum (Advancing American Indian Art)
• Learn about the land you occupy

In addition to providing programs and services to our Native American Veterans, we are also committed to supporting a diverse, inclusive and welcoming workforce. We want all employees to feel seen and heard. To that end, we ask you to confirm your self-identification information (ethnic group, gender, etc.) on the Self-Service portal.

If you have questions about any of the annual observances we recognize at MDVA, please contact the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at 612-548-5961 or diversity.MDVA@state.mn.us.