{"id":44726,"date":"2025-05-23T08:46:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T07:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/?p=44726"},"modified":"2025-08-21T16:06:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T15:06:25","slug":"digital-connectivity-for-tribal-veterans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/2025\/05\/23\/digital-connectivity-for-tribal-veterans\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital connectivity for tribal veterans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Televeda, ADVS and Navajo Nation partner to expand access to benefits, peer support and traditional healing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indigenous veterans have honorably served in the US armed forces for generations, yet many still face barriers to healthcare, peer support and culturally aligned services due to limited internet access in rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To address these disparities, the Arizona Department of Veterans\u2019 Services and Televeda have launched the Tribal Connectivity Project Roger That<\/em> –  a new initiative that provides Starlink internet kits to tribal veterans across Arizona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program equips veterans with the tools to access virtual benefits assistance, join culturally relevant peer support groups, and participate in traditional Talking Circles, helping ensure indigenous veterans are not left behind in the digital age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“<\/em>The Arizona Department of Veterans\u2019 Services is thrilled to bring internet access to our rural and tribal communities, ensuring veterans can easily access the benefits they have rightfully earned through their honorable service. Partnering with community organizations to deliver this vital resource is deeply rewarding and aligns perfectly with our mission. We look forward to expanding this impactful initiative alongside our partners at Televeda,” said Dylan Dalzotto, Assistant Deputy Director for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Arizona Department of Veterans\u2019 Services<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expanding Digital Access for Veterans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through this initiative, Starlink internet kits are being deployed across Arizona\u2019s 22 federally recognized tribes. Four tribes have already benefited from this endeavor: the Gila River Indian Community, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and the Navajo Nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact is immediate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving access to Wi-Fi will be a great benefit for veterans, allowing them to connect through their phones, tablets and TVs – at no cost to them. We hold veterans\u2019 meetings on the last Tuesday of every month, with nearly 800 members strong. Expanding this to Bylas, Arizona, is a major milestone for our community.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Veteran Participant<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis technology is especially valuable for younger veterans while also helping older veterans connect. The real benefit is the ability to interact and build camaraderie, just like our weekly Thursday meetings.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Tribal Community Member<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural Healing Through Peer Support<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond digital access, Roger That<\/em> supports Televeda\u2019s Hero\u2019s Story Project, a suicide prevention initiative backed by the VA to help prevent veteran suicides. The Hero\u2019s Story Project fosters cultural healing through Talking Circles, both online and in person, where veterans connect with peers, traditional resources and other veteran benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May 2024, the Navajo Nation led the way as the first to partner with and launch the Hero\u2019s Story Project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veterans who have participated in Televeda\u2019s Talking Circles hosted at the Navajo Nation have shared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Talking Circle provided a space for veterans to open up about personal struggles and healing. I felt the support of my fellow veterans and hope these circles continue.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Tribal Veteran Participant<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVeterans helping veterans has been the most effective form of support. These circles give us a space to discuss military experiences in ways that family and friends may not fully understand.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Tribal Veteran Participant<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Talking Circle helps me feel supported\u2014like we\u2019re all helping one another \u2018climb out of the hole together.\u2019\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Tribal Veteran Participant<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Measurable Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early results from the Hero\u2019s Story Project, launched in partnership with the Navajo Nation in 2024, highlight promising improvements in community well-being. While feedback was collected from a broad range of participants on the Televeda platform, veterans participating in the program were among those who reported significant emotional benefits. Of all respondents, 100% felt happier and more connected, 96% experienced greater relaxation and overall well-being and 95% stated they felt less lonely during the pilot period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the 2024 pilot, 285 veterans engaged with the platform, gaining access to peer support, traditional cultural programming and virtual resources. As the initiative expands in 2025 through the Roger That<\/em> program, 60% of participating veterans have already scheduled appointments with the state\u2019s Veteran Benefits Counselors to receive additional support and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funding opportunities for tribal veteran programs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founded in 2018, Televeda is a digital health platform dedicated to reducing social isolation and increasing digital inclusion for veterans, seniors, and underserved communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Televeda supports indigenous veterans by serving as a sub-grantee for funded pilot opportunities that enhance peer support, digital connectivity and cultural healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These grants empower tribal communities through initiatives like talking circles, digital literacy training, traditional healing programs and community-led veteran projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funding is available for tribal veteran service organizations and tribal governments, with applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Televeda remains committed to ensuring these resources strengthen veteran well-being and social connection while uplifting initiatives already underway in indigenous communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Televeda, ADVS and Navajo Nation partner to expand access to benefits, peer support and traditional healing. Indigenous veterans have honorably served in the US armed forces for generations, yet many still face barriers to healthcare, peer support and culturally aligned services due to limited internet access in rural communities. To address these disparities, the Arizona […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":44727,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7063,7635,7066,21,24,1034,43],"tags":[1074,1329,81,1032,149],"class_list":["post-44726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-connectivity","category-defense","category-digital-solutions","category-government","category-healthcare","category-north-america","category-top-stories","tag-connectivity","tag-government","tag-healthcare","tag-north-america","tag-us"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44726"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44728,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44726\/revisions\/44728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/north-america\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}