S8, E6, Pt 1 “We Are Still Here”: Honoring our Native Veterans with Teyler Williston, Choctaw

This month, for Memorial Day and Military Appreciation Month, we honor our Native American veterans.

Did you know our Native people serve at the highest rate per capita of any group in the U.S.?

Yet, Native veterans also face some of the highest suicide rates, often twice the national average. Factors like historical trauma, limited access to culturally relevant care, and the lingering effects of service contribute to this crisis. 

For younger Native male veterans, the risk is especially high, making culturally rooted, community-based support critical. Programs that reconnect veterans to nature, culture, and tradition are helping restore hope.

I sat down with Choctaw veteran Teyler Williston, who continues his family’s legacy of service through his work in Native veteran mental health. 

His story spans generations—from his Choctaw Lighthorseman Grandpa to Teyler’s Air Force Firefighting and his role in the Choctaw Honor Guard.

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