"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Tribal Employee Appointed To U.S. Veterans Committee

***"Debra American Horse-Wilson"***

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - Cherokee Nation employee Debra L. American Horse-Wilson was recently appointed to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans.

The Marine Corps veteran is currently the only Native American female serving on the committee, which serves Asian, African, Hispanic, Pacific Island and Native (Alaskan, American Indian and Hawaiian) Americans. The committee advises the secretary of VA as well as Congress on administration of benefits, health care benefits and services to minority veterans.

"I am excited about being appointed to this prestigious position because I believe this is an opportunity to bring forward the issues of Native veterans to a level of government that will take positive action. Particularly important issues are full access to VA facilities and the need to establish advocates to outreach to those veterans who need help in getting through the maze of utilizing their well-earned benefits and establishing disability benefits," American Horse-Wilson said. "Veterans are my heart, my life and my opportunity to make a difference in this world."

Her ACMV obligations are providing an annual report to Congress outlining recommendations, concerns and observations on delivery of services to minority veterans; meeting with VA officials, veteran service organizations and other stakeholders to assess efforts to provide benefits and outreach to minority veterans; and making periodic site visits and holding town hall meetings with veterans to listen to and address their concerns.

Before accepting a job as a compliance officer for the CN Gaming Commission in June 2004, she worked for Veterans Affairs from 1990 through 2004 first as the public affairs officer for the Muskogee VA Regional Office director and later in Washington, D.C., for the secretary of the VA in the Minority Veterans Center as liaison between the VA and Indian reservations.

American Horse-Wilson comes from a long line of veterans. Her grandfather is a World War II veteran and took her to American Legion meetings at Pine Ridge, S.D. Her father, two brothers, a sister, a nephew and her husband are all Marine Corps veterans. She joined the Marines in 1974 after graduating from Sequoyah High School and served until 1981 when she was honorably discharged with the rank of E-6 staff sergeant. She served in South Carolina, Washington, D.C., California and New York as well as in Okinawa, Japan.