During Women’s History Month, VA proudly honors the service, strength and resilience of women Veterans. Among them is a Native American Veteran named Lakeishia, whose journey reflects perseverance, courage and the power of earned benefits.
Lakeishia grew up and lived on the reservation lands of the Mississippi Band of the Choctaw Indians in east-central Mississippi before joining the Army. She completed basic combat training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and advanced individual training at Fort Bliss, Texas, as a Patriot missile operator/maintainer. Later, while stationed in Germany, she helped train soldiers from allied nations. Her role required precision, leadership and technical expertise.
As a woman and Native American in uniform, Lakeishia faced significant adversity, including racism and sexism. Yet growing up within her tribal community, where she witnessed poverty and addiction, instilled a deep resilience. “I live by the Native American adage, ‘Hold on to what is good, even if it’s a handful of earth,’ and that helps me overcome hurdles,” she said.
Like many Native American Veterans, Lakeishia wanted to return home after completing her service to the land where her ancestors had lived for generations. But when she did, she faced a new battle: housing insecurity. At one point, she left her children with her mother at night while she slept in her car. Longstanding housing shortages and limited access to mortgage financing on federal trust lands only exacerbated her situation.
Historically, lenders have been reluctant to finance home purchases or construction on trust land, creating barriers to homeownership for Native Americans. In a moment of desperation, Lakeishia turned to social media for guidance. A cousin, who is also a Veteran, suggested she explore the Native American Direct Loan (NADL) program. That suggestion changed her life.
After connecting with an NADL coordinator and confirming her eligibility, Lakeishia applied for a home loan and was approved. “My NADL coordinator helped me each step of the way, from explaining the process to applying for the loan and holding my hand through closing,” she said. “He used plain language, so it was easy to understand the loan and next steps.”
Through the NADL program, Lakeishia achieved her dream. Today, she and her family live in a home of their own. She is pursuing a degree in accounting and no longer faces the uncertainty that once forced her into homelessness. “I was proud to serve and defend my country,” she said. “And now that I am home, I am happy to accept the benefits, including the Native American Direct Loan, that I earned.”
VA remains committed to working with tribal communities nationwide to expand awareness and participation in the NADL program. Native American Veterans can learn more about the NADL program or attend an informational session. Tribes can access training resources online from the VA Loan Guaranty Training website under “Available Training – Native American Direct Loans.”
During Women’s History Month, Lakeishia’s story stands as a powerful reminder: Women Veterans not only defend our nation, they lead, endure and build lasting legacies for their families and communities.
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A young lady from the VA came by our retirement home. She handed out some of those fancy color xerox papers with this story on it. She called it a “blog” and said we could type our comments in this little box here.
Reading it got me thinking. We used to call them “Indians,” and I know that’s not right anymore. I mean no disrespect. They are Native Americans, and proud nations.
I was a finance officer during the war, just pushing numbers. My best clerk was a young Choctaw sergeant, sharp as a tack. He introduced me to his friend, Gilbert “Choc” Charleston. I just read that Mr. Charleston passed away this last Thanksgiving. He was 101 years old—can you believe it? Same number as the Screamin’ Eagles.
I like to keep my mind busy with numbers. Every number is a story. There were 16 million of us in uniform back then. Now, maybe 45,000 of us are left. About that same number, 44,000, were Native Americans who served with us. That includes 800 of their women in the WACs, WAVES, and Marines. The VA girl reminded us it’s Women’s History Month. Those ladies were our sisters-in-arms, and they deserve to be remembered.
They deserve the same respect and the same VA benefits as the rest of us. They earned it.
Bravo! A story well chosen and well told. And like any good piece, it leads me to think and ask questions. The first one that comes to mind — why didn’t Lakeishi know about this program before she wound up sleeping in her car? Why did a cousin have to tell her about it? Can the agency do more, or do better, informing all our veterans about the benefits available to them . . . benefits they have earned and that a grateful nation is glad to see them take advantage of? The purpose of this piece, obviously, is to raise awareness of the problem that changed Lakeishia’s life, which is just what it ought to do. A good read . . .
What a good news story in a time of uncertainty for many Americans! I would love to read more stories like these where veterans get the help they need and deserve! Keep up the good work!!
@AyeceeTēw here, just read this powerful, soul-shaking story and I literally cannot stop crying, I’m not crying… YOU’RE crying!!!
Lakeishia, a Native American queen, a veteran, a mother, a straight-up WARRIOR GODDESS who completely changed my entire perspective on life foreverrrr.
She operated missiles in Germany, while I’m over here struggling to froth my oat milk properly She lived in her car, while I’m complaining that the valet took too long with my convertible. She battled homelessness, and I’m over here fighting spotty Wi-Fi in my kitchen island. I feel so deeply connected to her. Women. Survivors. Dreamers. Soul sisters across the universe!
Her quote, “Hold on to what is good, even if it’s a handful of earth” absolutely shattered me in the best way. I ran and wrote it on a pastel sticky note and stuck it on my mirror ? so I can see it every single morning while I’m doing my skincare routine and gua sha. That’s what real healing looks like bestie!!! #InnerWork #ShadowWork
Lakeishia found her strength through her beautiful heritage and tribal community. I found mine through hot Pilates and oat milk lattes with extra cinnamon. Totally different paths, same divine feminine energy, right?!
Thank you Lakeishia for showing me what resilience looks like. You’re out here building a home for your kids, while I’m over here just building a little doggie house for my fur babies! Chef’s kiss.
I can appreciate Lakeishia’s story. Upon returning returning from AD, I went through something similar (although I’m not a Native American). The VA offers many programs to help veterans, of which I’ve taken advantage of a few. And as I look to buy a home, I’ll certainly be using my VA loan eligibility. Thank you Lakeishia for sharing your story and to the VA for stories like these, that so wonderfully remind all of us veterans that these benefits exist but that it is up to us to use them. An important message for sure.
As a female Native American Veteran, I appreciate sharing Lakeishia’s brave story during Women’s History Month. I pay sacred tribute with love and compassion and solidarity in one hand. In my other hand, I have a feather that I want to dip in ink and give to my teenage niece for her to write a better story than this.
My warrior native sister Lakeishia slept in her car while her kids stayed with grandma? VA never proactively told her about NADL? She only found out through a cousin on social media? Why wasn’t she informed during her military transition? That’s unacceptable.
The blog celebrates Lakeishia‘s “success”, but ignores systemic failures to reach her, before she became homeless. If you truly honor Native women Veterans, fix the outreach so those like Lakeishia don’thave to learn about their earned VA benefits through Facebook while living in their car.
Then finally, this ‘powerful’ story ends with a corporate training link for lenders. How does that help Lakeishia’s trauma? Other links you should have included are PTSD.VA.gov and MentalHealth.VA.gov
I believe the purpose of this article is to help with the outreach. Kudos to Lakeishia for allowing her story to be told and for NADL and the writer for telling us her story for the “outreach” that people like you are seeking. Perhaps they should include links to every benefit that is offered by VA in every article that the VA publishes, huh?
What a wonderful story. We should all appreciate success stories for both the VA and for our fellow veterans. Thanks for highlighting both in this blog post. More stories like these please.
As a Native American female veteran, this doesn’t sit right. The “inspirational” framing feels hollow, more about making people feel good than understanding what we actually go through. The story is a fluff about bravery, but where’s the accountability for the system that abandoned her? This misses what Native veterans face, sovereignty issues, trust responsibilities, barriers on tribal lands. It feels like box-checking, not genuine understanding. We don’t need feel-good stories. We need you to actually do better, to understand our reality, honor treaty obligations, and ensure veterans don’t stumble onto programs by luck while homeless. Real support, actual reporting, not just storytelling.
Just wanted to say thank you for sharing this. This young lady served her country honorably, worked with soldiers from other nations, and still came home to nothing. Knowing that she had to sleep in her car broke my heart. But she kept pushing forward which shows her bravery and commitment to a better life. So happy to hear that she found out about the loan program and was able to get her family settled in a new home. Stories like these help me keep faith in this country! God bless!
Wow, what an incredible story. I don’t usually comment on these things but this one really got me. Lakeishia served her country with distinction, trained soldiers overseas, and still came home to sleep in her car while her kids stayed with grandma. That is just not right and nobody should have to go through that. But she didn’t give up and that is the American spirit right there. Really glad she found out about this NADL program and got her family into a home of their own. This is exactly the kind of story that needs to be told especially during Women’s History Month. God bless her and her whole family. More of this please VA.
As a native American vet, I greatly appreciate VA highlighting programs like this. I found the story both uplifting and timely in this uncertain economy. Thanks for being there for us VA and thanks to the people in VA like the writer for communicating stories like this and bringing attention to the benefits that we have. Keep up the great work!
I appreciate VA trying to highlight NADL program, and recognize Women’s History Month, but this piece needs to be addressed. I am a Native Veteran man, who respects with my female warriors, who have fought alongside me, in my military career, and with my ancestors before the USA even existed. Women are the backbone of our nation. The concept of women as life-givers, knowledge-keepers, and community anchors means Native Veteran men like me view women who served through that same elevated lens, a birds-eye view. A woman who carried both her cultural identity and a military oath is seen with two strengths, twice as strong.
Native American Veterans (men and women) share an unusual bond: they both served a government that historically oppressed their people, yet did so out of a warrior tradition that runs deep. That shared paradox creates profound mutual respect. A Native Veteran man who’s been downrange knows exactly what it cost a woman to be there too — often facing racism and sexism on top of everything else.
First problem with this story is its just one story, only one story. One woman, from one tribe, in one state, Mississippi. What? That’s supposed to represent the experience of Native American Veterans across hundreds of sovereign nations? From the Mississippi Choctaw, to the Colville Confederated Tribes in Washington State? That’s not representation, that’s a a bad presentation, just a checkbox. I’ve sat across from tribal leaders and state officials pushing for exactly the kind of awareness this article claims to be providing, and one ‘feel-good story’ does not come close to moving the needle. This writer is not a Veteran, not a military spouse, not a survivor. I instinctively know this, from the words used, the message shared, with no insight, no connection, no experience.
Second problem, where are the numbers? I graduated high school, so I know basic mathematics, and I appreciate data, when it represents my community. How many Native Veterans have actually used the NADL program? What’s the approval rate? What’s the average processing time? How many tribes have active participation agreements with VA? I led hundreds of soldiers in combat. I’ve negotiated a multimillion security contract in a war zone. I know what accountability looks like, and this article has none of it. It reads like a promo ad, or a media release, but without the ad or media product, and that image of the house is not on tribal land.. It’s not an accurate report to the audience who need this information most. Did we ask for this? Did we need this? Did this help us? Did this accurately represent us? This article wasn’t a just no-no, it was a NOx4.
Third problem, and this one stings bad, like cheap whiskey on a paper cut, like after I printed this article and shared it with my friends on the reservation. Lakeishia slept in her car while her children stayed with her mother? A Patriot missile operator? A woman who trained soldiers from allied nations in Germany? And VA’s response to that is to wait until she stumbled across the NADL program through a cousin on social media? That is a systemic failure dressed up as a success story. VA, you do NOT get credit for catching someone ‘after’ they’ve already hit the ground. Make that ‘NOx5’. If this was a phase when I was a Black Hat, you would be sent back to day-1 of this school training.
I chair a Native Veterans Committee. I serve on a panel fighting digital-divides on our reservation because our tribal members don’t have reliable internet, to even find programs like NADL. But this article casually directs people to “learn more online” and attend “informational sessions” as if every Native Veteran has a broadband connection and the luxury of time. They don’t.
If VA is serious about serving Native American Veterans, stop publishing bad writing stories like this and start sharing data, outreach plans, and tribal partnership numbers. We’ve earned more than just a highlight reel during Women’s History Month.
Is this THE “Larry 2 Cans?” If so CSM, what an honor! I appreciate your insights on the unique challenges faced by Native American Veterans, especially women like me, and I agree that one story can’t really capture our different experiences. Your call for more concrete data and accountability from the VA is a must, as numbers shows real impact of programs, like NADL. The systemic issues surrounding housing and access to resources are pressing concerns that deserve more than just a “success story” by the writer, obviously a summer intern. Your point about the digital divide is critical, as many veterans lack reliable internet access, which marginalizes them further. Let’s keep advocating for our community, pushing for comprehensive discussions, and actionable steps from VA to ensure all our voices are heard and represented. Thank you again Larry, for sharing your thoughts and experiences
It’s a blog post dude. It’s purpose is obviously to tell the story of this wonderful lady to highlight a success story of what the program can do. And it does that very well. It’s not an in-depth analysis of the NADL program. Perhaps you should be commenting on the 100 page reports the VA puts out if you’re looking for all that “data”. That’s what those reports are for. That isn’t really the purpose of blogs. One would think a vet committee chair would already know that. Ad hominem attacks on this poor vet and the writer is lame. Do better.
Ok… I say it simple and straight, like I am retire First Sergeant, you hear me say truth, honest respect, to my soldiers and family.
This story is not good, and I am bad writer, but I can do better this. Writing is confuse, no focus, just fluff trying to hit Native, woman, Veteran, but not connect nothing. It don’t feel real, don’t feel like someone who understand Veterans or what they go through. No Vet write the story, not experience with VA mission?
The too clean. NADL is hard process, but here it look easy. That not honest. And that photo… no. That not tribal land housing! That suburban house. No culture, no respect for Native community. Who approve this.
Also miss point, everything important—no tribal voice, no sovereignty, no real explanation of trust land or the program. So it fail both ways, not good story, not good education, not good represent VA, not good reach out.
Honest, this writer not doing good job here. It show lack of understanding of the subject, the audience, the agency mission, and meaning behind NADL program. This kind of work need retraining, basic writing, knowing audience, and actual understand what you writing about.
Bottom line… this don’t represent Veterans right. We gotta do better.
No one writes like this. It’s like someone put this in chatgpt and asked it to output something Tonto would say back in the 1950’s. I’m offended tbh that this was allowed to be published. It’s racist imo.
No no, Tom Tom. I go Toronto, not Tanto, with Canada visit. Not native from tribal, I have amigos from reservations. I retire 1SG, Army. In military, there is no racist. Sorry my English not good like you, my school was GED and NCO leader train. I read better, not write.
And you expect someone to take you seriously when you talk about someone else’s writing after this mess? That’s funny.