OLYMPIA – On April 28, 2025, the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CTCR) formalized a partnership aimed at enhancing services for Native American Veterans and their families. This collaboration is made possible by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which allows WDVA to provide in-kind support and resources to the CTCR’s Tribal Veteran Service Officers.

This MOA underscores the WDVA’s commitment to its mission of “Serving Those Who Served” and focuses on strengthening the health, financial security, and overall well-being of Native American Veterans and their families.

A key component of the MOA is the role of Veterans Service Officers (VSOs). These trained professionals, including Tribal VSOs, help Veterans apply for and access Veterans’ benefits. David Puente Jr., WDVA director, highlighted the significance of Tribal VSOs, who bridge the gap between Native and non-Native communities to ensure Veterans in Indian Country receive culturally appropriate services. Since 2017, WDVA has partnered with several federally recognized Indian Tribes, thanks to a federal rule change that enabled Tribal-State collaboration for Tribal Veterans Service Officers.

This agreement will allow WDVA to provide ongoing training and technical assistance to Tribal Veteran Service Officers, similar to the way that WDVA collaborates with County Veteran Service Officers. Tribal Veteran Service Officers can also participate in the agency’s Veteran Service Officer training conferences and Serving Those Who Served Veteran service provider conferences which can help all VSOs better serve Veterans and their families in local communities.

Key provisions of the MOA include:

• Training and Accreditation: WDVA will provide the same training and accreditation to the Tribe’s VSOs as it does for County and State VSOs, ensuring consistency and expertise.
• Access to Information Systems: The Tribe’s VSOs will have access to WDVA’s VSO information systems to assist with Veterans’ benefits applications efficiently.
• Tracking and Reporting: WDVA will track and report the outcomes of Veterans’ disability claims submitted by the Tribe’s VSOs.
• Ongoing Support and Conferences: WDVA will offer ongoing technical assistance and invitations to its annual Veteran Service Officer conferences to foster further training and integration into the broader VSO network.

This MOA marks WDVA’s tenth agreement with Washington state tribes and a significant step forward in ensuring Veterans in Indian Country obtain access to the Veterans’ benefits and services they deserve such as federal Veterans’ disability benefits and survivors’ benefits. By combining the strengths of the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, this partnership will create a stronger and more accessible network of services for N