A long-awaited moment of recognition and honor for a movement that was initiated 20 years ago in Flandreau.
A new National American Indian Veterans (NAIV) Charter was recognized during this past week’s Memorial Day program. The Charter, which will operate much like the American Legion or VFW, also considered Charter organizations, was officially signed into existence in Washington, D.C. in March of this year.
The seeds of the NAIV were sown in 1995 during the inaugural meeting in Flandreau, where a group of visionary elder Veterans gathered and dreamed of establishing a charter for American Indian veterans. Bureaucratic hurdles, including a moratorium on new charters imposed by the judiciary in Washington D.C., didn’t allow for the conversation however for years.

Robert Dunsmoor, a longtime advocate for the NAIV Charter, and Tribal Veterans Services Officer for the Cheyenne River Sioux, said despite the long journey, he and so many others are grateful for the Charter’s realization.
“For me, as a service officer, I’m one of the few that goes to DC quite a bit for the Tribes,” Dunsmoor shared. “We went and knocked on doors and we were told there’s a moratorium on Charters but we showed them they’ve done 26 since. We did our research, visited with them and really pushed them.”
A breakthrough came this past year with bipartisan support, spearheaded by South Dakota’s Senator Mike Rounds and Senator Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico. It passed unanimously in the Senate and faced a final hurdle in the House before ultimately being ratified. Senator Thune, Dunsmoor said, played a pivotal role in navigating the legislative process in the House, ensuring that the voices of American Indian veterans were heard and respected.
The significance of the NAIV Charter extends beyond ceremonial recognition, said Dunsmoor. It will empower American Indian veterans to advocate for their needs and interests independently. “It’s going to give us a seat at the table,” he said, additionally highlighting the opportunities for funding that the charter provides.
What those opportunities are and what he believes was some of the biggest opposition the Charter faced, in a future edition of the Moody County Enterprise.