FORT PECK RESERVATION — What began with the honoring of a retiring Fort Peck veteran in July has developed into a $500 payment for eligible tribal veterans, funded through savings from old voided per-capita checks.

Now, more than a month after the idea first emerged, the Fort Peck Tribal Executive Board is preparing to consider formal rules establishing who will qualify for the payment.

Fort Peck Sergeant at Arms Bruce “Cubby” Damon posted on social media a Veterans Stipend Update this week outlining a proposed resolution scheduled to go before the full Tribal Executive Board on Monday, Aug. 24.

The eligibility requirements contained in that resolution are proposed and are not yet final. They will not become Tribal Executive Board policy unless approved by the Board Monday, and the council could amend the proposal before taking final action.

How the $500 veterans payment began

The effort traces back to the July 13, 2026 full Tribal Executive Board meeting, when the council honored Catlin Eagleman following his retirement from military service after 20 years.

Eagleman was presented with a star quilt during the recognition.

During the honoring, a motion was made from the floor to also provide Eagleman with a $500 stipend in recognition of his military service. The council approved the motion.

Word of the action spread, and the honoring led to a broader discussion about providing the same $500 recognition to other Fort Peck tribal veterans.

At the July 27 full board meeting, the Tribal Executive Board approved a resolution authorizing a $500 payment to eligible Fort Peck tribal veterans.

The next question was how the payments would be funded.

Funding found in voided per-capita checks

Tribal officials identified approximately $150,000 in savings associated with old voided per-capita checks.

The funds were connected to per-capita checks that had been issued to tribal members but, for various reasons, were never picked up or cashed. Over time, those checks were voided and the associated money remained on the Tribes’ books.

A July 28 Finance report documented action to move savings from the voided per-capita checks from an existing account into an account and line item designated for the veterans list.

The Finance action was initiated through a motion by Councilman Jestin Dupree, seconded by Councilwoman Carolyn Brugh.

The funding later went before the full Tribal Executive Board for final action.

At the Aug. 10 full board meeting, the Tribal Executive Board approved the funding by a 10-0 vote, with Councilmen Jestin Dupree and Mike Headdress absent.

Every councilmember present voted in favor.

With the payment authorized and funding identified, Fort Peck Tribal Veterans Affairs began working through its veterans records and gathering the documentation needed to determine eligibility and process payments.

Veterans Affairs list being updated

Fort Peck Tribal Veterans Affairs currently has 554 veterans listed in its records, according to information presented in recent tribal committee reports.

Of those 554 names, 54 are listed as deceased.

The Veterans Affairs Office is continuing to update and verify the list, meaning the total number of veterans who will ultimately qualify for the $500 payment has not yet been determined.

The records include tribal veterans both on and off the Fort Peck Reservation, and Veterans Affairs has been working to make sure eligible veterans living away from the reservation are also able to submit their information.

The current list should therefore not be viewed as a final count of payment recipients. It is a working Veterans Affairs record that still includes deceased veterans and must be reviewed against whatever eligibility requirements are ultimately adopted by the Tribal Executive Board.

Proposed eligibility rules

The resolution scheduled for Monday represents the next major step in the process.

Rather than creating the $500 payment itself — which was already approved in July — the proposal would establish uniform rules governing who qualifies, how veteran status will be verified and when the required documentation must be submitted.

Under the resolution as currently written, an applicant would have to be a fully enrolled member of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation.

The applicant would also have to be a veteran who served in the Armed Forces of the United States.

The proposal contains additional requirements for members of the National Guard and Reserves. Under the proposed language, Guard and Reserve members could qualify if they meet federal statutory requirements by having:

• Served on active federal duty under Title 10 for 180 or more days outside of initial or annual training;
• Completed at least 20 years of qualifying National Guard or Reserve service and become eligible for reserve retirement; or
• Sustained a service-connected disability in the line of duty during training or active service.

The proposed resolution would also require the applicant to have received an Honorable Discharge from military service.

Veterans would be required to provide a complete and official DD Form 214 directly to the Fort Peck Tribal Veterans Affairs Department for verification before payment approval.

Sept. 25 deadline proposed

The resolution would establish Sept. 25, 2026, as the deadline for veterans to officially submit their name and required documentation to Fort Peck Tribal Veterans Affairs.

Under the proposal as currently written, submissions received after Sept. 25 would not be eligible for payment processing.

Damon’s public notice also asks enrolled veterans to submit a completed W-9 tax form, which the notice states is needed for address information.

Veterans are being encouraged to register with Veterans Affairs and gather their paperwork now, but the specific eligibility standards contained in the resolution should not yet be considered final.

The full Tribal Executive Board will consider the proposal Monday and may approve, reject or amend the resolution.

For more information, veterans may contact Fort Peck Tribal Veterans Affairs:

Email: medicinebear.lonewarrior@fortpecktribes.net
Phone: 406-768-2445
Fax: 406-768-5384

The Fort Peck Journal will follow the Aug. 24 full board meeting and report the Tribal Executive Board’s final action on the proposed veterans payment requirements.