Honoring our Veteran's at Camp Chapparal

I was invited by our Veterans Program to attend their annual Veteran’s Camp at Camp Chapparal. It’s very meaningful for my family and I that I attend because my Pusha (grandfather on my dad’s side) was a Master Gunner Sergeant in the Korean War; he was one of the first Native Americans to hold rank over white soldiers. His work with our Tribe and with Indian Country has been dedicated to honoring our warriors who fight to protect our families, culture and way of life. This Veteran’s Camp is part of his legacy and the legacy of the way we honor our warriors. At this camp, veterans from all over the country would also be attending, and many of them are non-native. But in spite of this, they are joined together in their journey for healing. There are cultural aspects to the week-long camp session; Prayer, Traditional Sweats, and Talking Circles. Because of the diverse veterans in attendance, I was there to share with them a bit of Yakama.

 I had the wonderful honor of performing the Welcome Dance. It’s a social dance, performed only by women. It’s symbolic of welcoming family by the setting out of a large feast or gathering. Young girls learn about this dance, I myself learned it at a young age. This dance, I explained demonstrated how connected Indian tribes were to each other, politically, economically and culturally because we Yakamas actually received this dance from the Tulalip Tribes. There was already strong trade and cross cultural exchange between tribes, even before white contact. (Another example comes from the Makah who have a war song they recieved from the Yakama.) I explained that it’s important that when dances and songs are sung that we acknowledge their origin and maintain protocol when sharing them. This is how we respect and honor the reasons for why they are given, and pass them onto our children.

I was honored to be part of this camp, to be in the presence of so many men and women, warriors, from all over who were visiting our land to find healing and the community support they deserve. Our veterans sacrifice so much, for their families, for their country, for everyone. I'd like to thank the Veterans Program and Warriors Association for allowing me to share the culture and lives of the people they’ve helped to protect. It was a very special blessing to me.