November 30, 2023 3:20 p.m.

The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs signed a formal agreement Wednesday that will provide a framework for collaboration and increased resources dedicated to supporting Tribal Veterans.

A Tribal release said the memorandum of understanding was signed at the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribal Government Office in Roseburg, as employees and government representatives gathered to commemorate the historic partnership.

Cow Creek Umpqua Chairman Carla Keene said, “Today our agencies partner together with a shared mission: to recognize and care for those who have served our country”. Keene said, “Our military veterans have provided a profound service to our community, and we join together today to support and honor them”.

Interim Director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs Dr. Nakia Daniels said, “We want to ensure that Tribal veterans and their family members are represented in culturally appropriate and timely manners”. Daniels said, “The power of having someone who knows you and who comes from where you come from, or is connected to where you come from cannot be understated. It matters”.

The release said the agreement establishes a new position, the Tribal Veterans Officer, within the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribal Government. The TVSO will be part of the newly established Veterans Services Program housed within the Cultural Resources Department. The position is funded by both the Oregon Legislature and the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribal Government.

The TVSO will be officially trained by the ODVA and accredited by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, through a series of regular classes and conferences facilitated by both agencies. Accreditation permits the TVSO to submit benefit claims on behalf of veterans, which will remove barriers for Tribal veterans struggling to find support and resources.

Nearly 6 percent of adults age 18 and older in the Cow Creek Tribal population identify as veterans.

This is the fourth agreement the ODVA has signed with Oregon’s Tribal governments.