Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

August 13, 2008, Page 2

Transcribed by Dolores Mohr Kenyon

The Highground raises Pala Indian Flag

Pala Band of Mission Indians tribal representatives and military veterans Kilma Lattin (l) Hoard Diaz (center) and Robert Lavato (r) present their tribal flag at a ceremony held at The Highground Friday, Aug. 8, 2008 (Photos by Peter Spicer/Clark County Press)

By Peter Spicer

A trip halfway across the country was worth it for the Pala Band of Mission Indians representatives when they traveled to The Highground Friday, Aug. 8, 2008, to raise their tribal flag at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial.

Military veterans Kilma Lattin, Robert Lavato and Howard Diaz, along with Photographer Pam Arviso, took a three-hour jet ride from the San Diego Pala Reservation to The Highground for the ceremony, which included raising the Pala Band of Mission Indians’ flag at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial.

Over one year ago, Vietnam veteran and New Lisbon resident Mitch Parrish, who is Cherokee and Seminole, began building relationships with American Indian tribes and seeking tribal flags after seeing a need for tribal flags at The Highground; an Oneida Nation flag was the only tribe represented before Parrish began the task.

The Choctaw Nation, OK, was the first tribe to donate a flag; a ceremony was held Aug. 13, 2007.  The Metlakatla Indian Community flag was received from the Alaska tribe June 11, the most recent one received by The Highground.

The Pala Band of Mission Indians, which has 1,000 members, has a reservation located on 15,000 acres in San Diego County, CA.

“We’re rich in culture,” explained Lattin, who added 40 war veterans live on the Pala reservation.

When the Pala Band was asked to provide a flag, they didn’t hesitate to answer “yes.”

We have a whole lot of veterans,” explained Lattin, a former U. S. Army helicopter pilot, “We took [the offer] seriously.”

After coordinating a date to visit The Highground to raise the flag, Lattin was immediately impressed with The Highground when he arrived.

“One word, man: beautiful,” said Lattin, as he took in the view at The Highground.  “The symbolism’s amazing.  It’s almost, like, majestic.”

“It’s a privilege and an honor to have them fly our flag,” said Lavato, who was excited about raising the flag on 8-08-08.  “I’m proud to be a Vietnam veteran.”

Vietnam veteran Diaz was also excited about the flag raising and echoed the same sentiments.

“It’s an honor,” said Diaz, who served in Vietnam with the U. S. Army in 1965 and 1966. Diaz, who said, six Vietnam veterans live on the Pala reservation, received a pleasant surprise when he read the names display on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial; he discovered his brother-in-law’s name was engraved on the memorial.

During the ceremony, Pala representatives displayed the flag.  After a tribal flag currently displayed was lowered, the Pala flag was raised.

“It’s an honor to be here today,” said Lattin as he addressed the crowd.

The ceremony concluded as those in attendance gathered in a “talking circle” to share thoughts or stories while a vial of earth from The Highground’s most recent Legacy Stone ceremony was passed from person to person as they spoke.  The talking circle takes place at each flag ceremony, said Highground Volunteer General Manager Kirk Rodman.

Adding tribal flags and holding ceremonies at The Highground helps make it a nationally known tribute to veterans, said Rodman, who led the ceremony.

These events show what The Highground is about for those who under estimate what The Highground does and the number of people they reach, said Rodman.

U. S. Tribes total 480 in the United States, said Rodman; the Pala Flag is the 55^th tribal flag The Highground has received.

The ceremony allowed attendees and Pala representatives to reflect on the sacrifices of veterans at a place of comfort for many.

“It’s been a privilege and an honor,” concluded Lattin during the ceremony.

The Pala Band of Mission Indians’ flag was raised Friday, Aug. 8, 2008, at a ceremony held at The Highground.  The Tribal flag was the 55^th received by The Highground to honor American Indian Vietnam veterans.