The Gordon Weston Indian Veteran Lodge, Flandreau and the Vet Center, Sioux Falls  Office, hosted a two day American Indian Veterans Conference at Royal River Casino February 27th & 28th. Emcee’s for the conference were Myron “Butch” Taylor and Sam Allen-Gordon Weston Indian Veterans and Dennis Quigley, Vet Center. The Gordon Weston Indian Veterans Lodge & guests were the Honor Guard.
Approximately 40 Native American Veterans from nine South Dakota Indian and one North Dakota Reservations attended the conference. The Many Lightings Drum Group sang the flag songs and Veterans songs. Members of Many Lightings Drum group are: Perry Bobtail Bear, Jim Bill Ross, David Ross, Francis Eastman, Brian Thin Elk, and Bill Bird.
Syd Byrd and Gordon Jones, Sr. gave the opening prayers and closing prayers for the  conference. Vice-President Jason Taylor gave a welcome address on the opening day of the conference. Syd Byrd sang the Marine Song in Lakota at the closing of the conference. The Veterans were much honored to have a Dakota elder do this for them.
(Pictured to the right: Gordon Jones Sr., Art Honomichl,& Ben Cadotte)
The agenda included: introductions of attendees, Don Loudner-History of the American Indian Veterans Association, re-establishing a regional AIV, by-laws & constitution, membership requirements, dues & fees. Dennis Quigley, Global War On Terrorism Outreach Technician-Vet Center spoke on “The Iraqi Veteran and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.
Art Honomichl-Rating Specialist, Department of Veteran Affairs, Sioux Falls, and Charles Quinn-Field Representative-SD Division of Veterans Affairs, Pierre, gave presentations on the services their offices provide for Veterans.
Don Lake, President of the American Indian Social Research Institute & grants writer spoke on “funding requirements for grant applications.”
The Wednesday evening session included talking circles on: “the importance of roles as Akicita, wearing of Eagle Feathers, being role models as Veterans, and how to support each other at events. 
Thursday: Charnel Hill-George (Pictured to the right: Charnel Hill-George), Veteran of Desert Storm and Planning Director for the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and graduate student at SDSU at the College of Engineering spoke on “Winona Veterans Circle.”
Art Honomichl introduced all the Tribal Veterans Service Office and held an “open mike” session on “concerns throughout the reservations on VA benefits.”
Shirley Redmond, Administrative Assistant, Sioux Falls Veterans Administration, gave a presentation on Veteran clinics and benefits and answered questions from the floor.
Congressional South Dakota Staff were present for updates from DC, Native American issues, special provisions for veterans, mental health issues, announcements, questions and answers from their offices: Jeannie Faber, Native American Outreach Coordinator, Senator John Thune’s-Sioux Falls office, Amy Bilka-Senator Tim Johnson’s Sioux Falls Office, and Eric Bursch from Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin’s Sioux Falls office.
There were door prize drawings held 3-4 times daily for the Veterans. The prizes were donated by Deb Wakeman, FSST Human Resource Director (many thanks Deb!) and the items donated were: FSST logo & emblemed tee-shirts, sweat shirts, and desk pen and clock sets. Veterans that won door prizes were: Don Loudner-Crow Creek-desk clock, Frank Marshall-Oglala Sioux Tribe-tee shirt, Charles Quinn-Rosebud Sioux Tribe-desk pen set, Wendell White-Three Affiliated Tribes-sweat shirt, Orlando Morrison-tee shirt, Lisa Bernard-pen set, Charnel Hill-George-clock set, Lynn Hart-desk pen set, Martin Bernard-tee shirt & calendar, to name a few of the lucky winners. The Veterans were very happy to win great prizes and thanked the Tribe.
There was a raffle for a Vietnam Veteran throw, donated by Vietnam Veteran Leonard Johnson. Myron “Butch” Taylor won the raffle but donated it back to the Gordon Weston Indian Veteran’s Lodge to continue the raffle to raise more funds for the Gordon Weston Indian Veterans Lodge.
 Myron “Butch” Taylor put up a display table of his fifteen year military collection and Vietnam memorabilia. Butch had a camouflage table covering and displayed military items such as: calvary hat, boonie hats, gas mask, shovel (used at the Battle of Hue, Vietnam), M-14 gun, M-16 gun, two Russian rifles, AK-47 rifle, 45 caliber pistol, bugle (Butch’s in the service), sniper rifles, helmets, pictures taken in Vietnam, helicopter pilot helmet, canteens, pouch systems (used for carrying ammunition), belts, harnesses, ghillie suit and other military equipment. Butch has been collecting military equipment and memorabilia of interesting military equipment from attending gun shows and from Veterans he knew.
The American Indian Veterans will meet on semi-annual basis in Flandreau and the planning committee will be meeting in Flandreau on or before the end of April 2008.
The planning/steering committee is: Sam Allen-Flandreau Santee Sioux, Basil Heth-Yankton Sioux Tribe, Delano Renville-Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Frank Marshall-Oglala Sioux Tribe, and Dennis Quigley-Rosebud Sioux Tribe & Vet Center.
The Gordon Weston Indian Veterans Lodge thanks the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe’s Executive Committee for donating the meeting room and refreshments, and a buffet lunch for the conference participants. Pidamaya! Goes to Carol Robertson and Amber Allen for volunteering their time, computer skills and labor toward this making this conference a success. –Tom Allen, Myron Taylor & Sam Allen
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