Pedro Molina Becomes First Assistant Secretary for Native American Veterans Affairs

Last week, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger swore in Pedro Molina as Assistant Secretary for Native American Veterans Affairs, the first such appointment in the nation.

The swearing in ceremony was attended by nearly 200 people, mostly Native Americans from California, according to a press release issued by the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

Molina, Yaqui, served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1973. Before his appointment, he served the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as American Indian program manager and marketing and community relations representative since 1998.

Native American War Veterans Sought for Online Survey

Calling all Native American war veterans. The Department of Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts Boston needs you to participate in an online survey that will attempt to gauge the words of war used by American soldiers.

The goal of the study, called Terms of Engagement: Understanding the Words of War, is to better understand the experiences of American soldiers who fight for their country and how they have talked or continue to talk about those experiences.

This survey, which should take no more than 40 minutes to complete, seeks information about certain phrases that refer to battle conditions and/or enemy combatants. Specifically, it wants to learn more about when, where, why and if some American soldiers refer to "the Wild West," “Indian Country” or “cowboys and Indians.” It also wants to know participants’ opinions on such phrases and their usefulness or appropriateness.

To learn more about the survey or to participate, click here.

New Mexico Says it Owes American Indian Vets $2 million

The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department released a report Oct. 1 revealing it owes as much as $2 million in tax refunds to about 7,000 American Indian veterans serving in the military between 1977 and 2004.

But veterans claim the department unlawfully settled without seeking input from American Indians.

Veterans also claim the state Taxation and Revenue Department acted beyond its authority when it compiled its report. Read more about it in the Farmington Daily Times.

Senate Passes Code Talkers Recognition Act

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed the Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2007, H.R. 4544, legislation that would honor all Native Americans from various tribes, including the Sac and Fox Tribe and Comanche, who served as code talkers during War World I and World War II with commemorative congressional gold medals. The bill passed the House on Sept. 25.

In 2001, the 29 original Navajo Code Talkers received congressional gold medals from President Bush, most posthumously, for their service in War World II. An additional 300 Navajos who later served in the same capacity received congressional silver awards.