Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Ceramony — Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Ceremony

On June 14, 2023, MLCV received the designation of a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Company (BTYR). We send a heartfelt miigwech (thank you) to the Minnesota National Guard and Minnesota’s Governor’s office for granting us this award. The achievement is a measure of our commitment to military personnel and their families and reflects our admiration for our Native deep-seated roots in the armed forces. But most importantly, it is a recognition for all active and veteran soldiers whose own commitment, one of all they are and all that they have, is for us.

Becoming a Yellow Ribbon Company

Attaining the title of a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Company is a highly honorable distinction with a meaningful responsibility of supporting veterans and their loved ones in a healthy transition to civilian life. Here at MLCV, we sought it out with the championing of our fellow Associates.

Nearly four years ago, the process began. We worked hard to meet the requirements of securing vital departments such as Human Resources Recruiting, Human Resources Policy and Procedures, Training and Development, and Community and Employee Outreach and Support. From there, we fashioned these essential areas to work in harmony, forming a cohesive network that actively unifies, links, and manages various aspects of the organization to provide proactive assistance to the military community.

Through committee teamwork and state reviews, we successfully created a charter with our pledge to continue recruiting, hiring, training, and offering resources and assistance to military service members, veterans, and their families. Upon its approval, we officially became recognized as a BTYR company.

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Proclamation Ceremony

Our subsidiary, Grand Casino Hinckley, hosted a beautiful celebration honoring our admission as a BTYR company on June 14, 2023. MLCV and Mille Lacs Band leadership, veteran and active military Associates and community members, state and military leadership, and many more came together to honor the significance behind the Yellow Ribbon.

The Mille Lacs Band Honor Guard and Timber Trails Drum Group commenced the morning with a ceremonial raising of the flags and traditional Ojibwe songs.

Melanie Benjamin, Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive

Speeches from Guests like Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive, Melanie Benjamin, showcased the raw importance behind Indigenous military service members. Melanie calls upon the statistic that Native people serve five times the national average in the armed forces. Their sacrifices have changed the trajectory of our world, yet many still wonder why so many individuals would choose to serve a country that has broken its treaties and suppressed its culture. Melanie elaborates, “The answers are many and individual. But we know it is our highest calling to protect our homelands for the next seven generations, and so, we have. This land is the home of our ancestors, sacred and ceremonial places, stories, and way of life as Anishinaabe. And it will be the land of our children’s children, and on and on and on.”

While a speech by Lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flanagan, reaffirmed the gratitude we share toward the Mille Lacs Band and other Native communities and military personnel. Her ongoing work in service member outreach is a powerful testament to her familial connection to Native Warriors — a story we are dearly gratified to receive.

The ceremony, filled with stories of cultures, generations, and professions, united with one goal — to honor those who protect us and the land in which we live. It symbolized our dedication to serving others and what it truly means to rest the Yellow Ribbon on our doors.

The Meaning Behind Beyond the Yellow Ribbon

The mission of Beyond the Yellow Ribbon is to establish and sustain a comprehensive community and corporate support networks that connect and coordinate agencies, organizations, and resources to meet the needs of Minnesota’s military veterans, service members, and families in all military branches.

Military Veteran and Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Ceremony Guest

At MLCV, we know the importance of supporting others. And when we saw an opportunity to expand upon our support to service members, we knew it was our responsibility to embark. For us, wearing the badge of a Yellow Ribbon company means we are embracing our mission. We welcome veterans and active service members as a place to call home. And we aim to help stop the economic, housing, and health challenges that Indigenous military members face at higher odds than most.

When the ceremony ends, and the congratulations fizzle, what matters is what the Yellow Ribbon status means to those it serves. For Nicole Harder, Talent Acquisition Specialist at Grand Casino, BTYR Committee member, and wife of an Active-Duty Navy husband, its significance hits close to heart. She shares a story of her daughter’s experience at the BTYR ceremony, “When she walked in the ballroom and saw the Men in Uniform and the Color Guard, she couldn’t help but cry. She said she finally felt at home.”

Nicole goes on to confide that it hasn’t always felt like that. When someone grows up or spends a lot of time in the military, they often face culture shock when returning home. And programs like the BTYR help alleviate that solitude. “I may not have physically served, but being a part of this Committee and now being employed by a Yellow Ribbon company has fulfilled a part of me that was missing, a piece that made me, me. It means that my daughter can finally feel seen and understood.”

Benefits for All

MLCV acquires numerous privileges with the BTYR title. We have contacts for open support to deployment readiness, family assistance and resources, youth programs, and educational and career opportunities. And, of course, the often unspoken but just as critical benefits, like united military communities, shared best practices, focused networks of support, and more.

In addition to these new perks, we offer our veteran and active service member Associates an array of resources: Qualifying Exigency Leave, Military Leave of Absence, MD Live Behavioral Health, Veteran’s Day honorary luncheon, Honor Walls at Grand Casino properties, Calm App subscription, an up-and-coming Family Fun Day (stay tuned!), and much more.

We wouldn’t be able to discuss the benefits offered to our military Associates without paying attention to their substantial imprints on us. We are honored to have their skills, compassion, education, work ethic, and profound insights into our world brought to the MLCV table.

Conclusion

Our work toward gaining the BTYR title was celebrated in June this year, but the efforts don’t stop there. We vow to continuously reflect and expand upon our assignment to empower and aid military personnel and their loved ones. For over 200 years, Native Warriors have served in every major conflict, and we are indebted to their sacrifice and sovereignty. Yet just as our work touches those beyond Indigenous roots, so too does our immense gratitude.

This article was written by Hannah Torkelson, MLCV’s Senior Communications Strategist. Hannah is a storyteller and is responsible for capturing great moments within MLCV’s portfolio.