Warrior tradition in Indian Country has contributed to the high rate of Native American enlistment and service in the military for over 200 years. AIAN people currently account for 1.7 percent of total troops, both enlisted and officer, though AIAN people account for just 1.4 percent of the United States population. Service and commitment continue beyond the military, as many tribal leaders and service providers are veterans. This large group of past and current service members continues to give to their communities and their country, even when they and their families are in need of service and/or support. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) “2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report (PDF | 2 MB),” in 2021, the highest suicide rate was among AIAN veterans at 46.3 suicides per 100,000 AIAN veterans.
According to Mission Roll Call, there are a number of unique challenges for Tribal veterans. Even though three-quarters (74.3%) of AIAN service members are enrolled in VA healthcare, Indigenous veterans living in rural areas often have trouble accessing care because VA facilities are backlogged or far away. Coupled with combat-related wounds or illness, this can lead to further health disparities among Indigenous veterans. Religious stigmas are another challenge, which can impact the well-being of Indigenous veterans. Native American service members have often described military experiences as “spiritually isolating” due to judgments or ignorance around their unique customs. In fact, they were not legally allowed to practice their religion until 1978 with the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA), and limited faith services for Indigenous service members have persisted.
According to Mission Roll Call, there are a number of unique challenges for Tribal veterans. Even though three-quarters (74.3%) of AIAN service members are enrolled in VA healthcare, Indigenous veterans living in rural areas often have trouble accessing care because VA facilities are backlogged or far away. Coupled with combat-related wounds or illness, this can lead to further health disparities among Indigenous veterans. Religious stigmas are another challenge, which can impact the well-being of Indigenous veterans. Native American service members have often described military experiences as “spiritually isolating” due to judgments or ignorance around their unique customs. In fact, they were not legally allowed to practice their religion until 1978 with the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA), and limited faith services for Indigenous service members have persisted.
American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans: 2017 (PDF | 559 KB)
In May 2020, VA published a report on AIAN veterans using data from 2017. This report provides comprehensive statistics on AIAN veterans through an examination of demographic, socioeconomic, and health status statistics.
Association between Lifetime Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Past Year Alcohol Use Disorder among American Indians/Alaska Natives and Non-Hispanic Whites
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder disproportionately impact certain populations, including AIAN people. While PTSD and alcohol use disorder have been studied both separately and in tandem, less is known about the association in AIAN people. The objective of this study was to examine the association between lifetime PTSD and past-year alcohol use disorder among AIAN people and non-Hispanic White people. This article was published in 2017.
Native American Veterans Association
The Native American Veterans Association serves and honors men and women who have served active duty and their families through readjustment assistance, strengthening ties family ties, linkages to services, and career and educational training.
Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy
The Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy is an office within SAMHSA, which serves as the primary point of contact for tribal governments, tribal organizations, federal departments and agencies, and other governments and agencies on behavioral health issues facing AIAN people in the United States.
Rural Promising Practice Issue Brief: Telemental Health Clinics for Rural Native American Veterans (PDF | 486 KB)
The Promising Practices initiative is overseen by the VA Office of Rural Health as part of its targeted, solution-driven approach to increasing access to care for 3 million veterans living in rural communities who rely on VA for health care.
VA Office of Tribal Government Relations
Visit the Office of Tribal Government Relations webpage to explore resources for AIAN veterans. The website offers resources related to economic sustainability, the National Native American Veterans Memorial, access to care and benefits, and veterans’ resources at-a-glance.
Veterans and Suicide Prevention—Indian Health Service
The Indian Health Service and VA have partnered to improve access and service delivery to AIAN veterans. The webpage offers interactive resources, VA health benefit information, and publications and reports.