Native American Outreach

The  Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Dakota Regional Office in Fargo, in conjunction with various service organizations, Indian Health Service, and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, will be sponsoring a Compensation and Information Fair at the Red Lake Humanities Center, 23750 Highway 1 East, Red Lake, Minnesota.  The event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 8, 2007, through Thursday, May 10, 2007.  All veterans are welcome to attend.  Veterans’ service organization representatives will be available from the American Veterans (AMVETS), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Minnesota American Legion, and Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs to assist all veterans, dependents, and survivors with their claims.  This is an opportunity for the veteran community to apply for veteran’s benefits in one location without traveling to the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Dakota Regional Office in Fargo.  We will have social workers from the Fargo VA Homeless Program available, representatives with information on the Native American Home Loan program, and blood pressure screening.

A VA disability examiner will be available to provide compensation and pension examinations along with VA Rating Board specialists to adjudicate certain disability and pension claims.  All veterans are encouraged to bring a copy of their DD214 (Discharge Papers), service medical or personnel records, medical records, and any Department of Veterans Affairs paperwork they may have received at an earlier date.   

Questions can be referred to Peggy Wheelden, Public Affairs Officer at 701-239-3724.

We would like to thank our contributors in donating their time, services and materials to this event.  They are:

Senator Norm Coleman                       

Red Lake Band of Chippewa

Senator Amy Klobuchar                      

Indian Health Service

Representative Collin Peterson           

Red Lake Tribal Health Program

VA Home Loan Program                     

VA Homeless Program              

MN Dept of Veterans Affairs               

American Legion

AMVETS                                             

Disabled American Veterans

Veterans of Foreign Wars                   

Red Lake Tribal College