United Tribes Technical College set to honor veterans at upcoming powwow

Wednesday, August 2, 2017  

The United Tribes Technical College is preparing to honor veterans at its upcoming powwow in North Dakota.

Veterans from the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, the Spirit Lake Nation, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians served in the United States military long before most Native people were granted U.S. citizenship. Their sacrifices will be recognized at the 48th annual UTTC International Powwow, which takes place September 8-10 on the college's campus in Bismarck.

During a special honor song on Sunday, September 10, the names of more than 350 tribal citizens who served in the World War I era will be announced. Their families and descendants will be invited to take part in the ceremony, along with other veterans.

The honoring comes on the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entering World War I in 1917. The representatives of the North Dakota WWI Centennial Committee and the U.S. WWI Centennial Commission are scheduled to attend the powwow, UTTC said in a press release.

UTTC itself has a strong connection to the military. The campus is located at the site of the former Fort Lincoln, which was used during World War I and during World War II, when it served as an internment camp.