fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 

Jamie Jones has been promoted to assistant deputy secretary with the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) and will continue a family legacy of service in the new position.

In her new role, Jones, of Sacramento, California, will oversee veteran outreach, memorials and cemeteries for CalVet, an organization that serves California’s 1.6 million veterans and their families.

Jones, a Chickasaw citizen, was honored for her new role during a May 22 blanket ceremony, which was hosted by CalVet and included representatives from the Chickasaw Nation as well as Chickasaw veterans. A blanket ceremony is a First American tradition symbolizing a milestone in one’s life and is a means to honor and show respect to the recipient.

Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby praised Jones for being named to the new position.

“We commend her dedication and passion for ensuring veterans receive the benefits and care they need and deserve. We wish her continued success and look forward to the meaningful impact she is sure to make in her new role,” Governor Anoatubby said.

Jones has served the state of California in various capacities for 26 years, with more than a decade of service at CalVet. She said she is humbled to be appointed to the new position.

“I have the unique opportunity to engage with our veteran community through a variety of programs and honor the legacies of our veterans and ensure a dignified resting place for our heroes at state veterans’ cemeteries,” she said.

“CalVet is here to ensure that California veterans are the most connected, protected and respected veterans in America, and it’s the greatest way we can truly honor and begin to repay those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.”

Through outreach programs and a variety of other programs, CalVet’s mission is “to serve and honor all California veterans by connecting them and their families with their earned benefits through education, advocacy and direct services.”

“We are there for veterans through every stage of their life cycle and for every moment that matters throughout their lives,” Jones said. “We help them prepare for civilian life as they separate from the military, and we help them connect to their federal benefits, health care and other benefits, as well as their GI benefits, and we do that throughout their life cycle.”

CalVet serves veterans with the mantra “connected, protected and respected,” she said.

“The first point in all of those things is ensuring they’re connected with their benefits, and that’s what we do every day.

“I’m just absolutely honored that I’m charged with outreaching to these veterans through every moment that matters throughout their life and then ensuring that they are in a final honorable resting place. It makes me emotional that I have this opportunity, and I am just so thankful that they entrust this very important role to me,” she said.

Jones first joined CalVet in 2013, briefly leaving the organization to enhance her knowledge of health care with a goal of returning to CalVet.
“I found that working with veterans really had my heart. It’s something that I really believed in,” she said.

Jones is looking forward to connecting Chickasaw veterans who reside in California with Chickasaw Veterans Services and said CalVet’s mission parallels the Chickasaw Nation’s mission to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people.

“Being raised Chickasaw and being proud of my culture, the Chickasaws have been good about intertwining and honoring those who served our country. For me, as a Chickasaw growing up that way, living Chikasha, living with honor but serving those who served our country, I’m just beyond grateful to be given this opportunity,” an emotional Jones said.

Born in North Dakota and raised in California, Jones said she receives her Chickasaw heritage from her paternal grandfather, Moses Jones, who died when she was 5 years old.

“We grew up in California, but my dad always made sure that we were connected to Chickasaw culture,” Jones said.

Jones is following a path of service similar to her father, Olin Jones, who was appointed as the first director of the Attorney General’s Office of Native American Affairs in California and served as a peace officer during his career.

“I’ve got to watch him my whole life serving his communities through public safety but more importantly serving tribal communities in California,” she said.

She said her grandfather would be proud she is continuing the family’s legacy of service.

“He danced and prayed and sang about these moments for his family, and it just makes me so proud.”

Jones has two children: a daughter , Makenzie, 23, who is a student at University of California Davis, and son, Carter, 14, a high school student. Both are proud of their Chickasaw heritage. Her partner, Todd, and his son are Cherokee citizens.

“It is so important to raise our kids to be proud of who they are, and proud of being a Native American, learning the culture and how we live and honoring the past, but embracing the future,” she said.

Jones and her family stay connected to their Chickasaw culture through the Northern California Chickasaw Connection, where she is also able to interact with Chickasaw veterans.

“I understand how important it is for those Chickasaw veterans to not only get their state and federal benefits because they live in California, but also connect them with their tribal benefits. That’s a trifecta of services that they can utilize so they are successful, thriving Chickasaw veterans even though (they live) in California. It is really a blessing that I’m serving veterans, but I’m serving Chickasaw veterans as well. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

She said Chickasaw veterans and representatives who attended the blanket ceremony are a testament of mutual support.

“Knowing that my tribe is always there to support me with anything I need, similarly to what we do with veterans and their families, walking them through every moment that matters. Our tribe, the Chickasaw Nation, really mirrors that and I’m appreciative of it. I know if I need anything as far as health care, schooling, anything, I can reach out to the Chickasaw Nation, and they will be there for me.”

About The Author
Author: Chickasaw Nation MediaEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Can we take a minute to talk about tribal sovereignty?

Our mission draws from the warrior spirit that has sustained Indigenous peoples for generations — the same spirit that drives us to stand guard over tribal rights through relentless investigation and fearless reporting. 

Sovereignty isn't just a concept – it's the foundation of Native nations' right to govern, protect our lands, and preserve our cultures. Every story we publish strengthens tribal sovereignty.

Unlike mainstream media, we center Indigenous voices and report directly from Native communities. When we cover land rights, water protection, or tribal governance, we're not just sharing news – we're documenting our living history and defending our future.

Our journalism is powered by readers, not shareholders. If you believe in the importance of Native-led media in protecting tribal sovereignty, consider supporting our work today. 

March 18, 2025 Levi Rickert
Native American Code Talkers are highly revered across Indian Country for their patriotism and service to the United States. During World War II, Navajo Code Talkers, a group of Diné citizens serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, used the Navajo language to securely transmit classified tactical messages.
Currents
March 19, 2025 Kristen Lilya Currents 1397
📢 WATCH: Mark Charles on Native Bidaské – The Return of Manifest Destiny? Friday, March 21st, 2025 12:00 pm ET / 11:00 am CT / 10:00 am MT / 9:00 am PT
Opinion
March 20, 2025 Theresa Hinman Opinion 354
Guest Opinion. Does the dismantling of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives replace our American Core Value of "Love thy neighbor as thyself?"
March 17, 2025 Professor Victoria Sutton Opinion 2970
Guest Opinion. In January 2025, with the epic fire destruction of the Palisades home development area and surrounding regions of Los Angeles, poor resource management became very real and experienced.
Sovereignty
March 20, 2025 Levi Rickert Sovereignty 1539
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren on Wednesday said his office received word from the the White House that the Department of Defense will restore materials related to the Navajo Code Talkers on its website.
March 19, 2025 Native News Online Staff Sovereignty 1110
The 25th Navajo Nation Council expresses profound disappointment over the White House’s recent decision to remove articles acknowledging the military contributions of the Navajo Code Talkers from U.S. military websites. This action follows Executive Orders aimed at eliminating ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI) policies across all federally funded agencies.
Education
March 19, 2025 Native News Online Staff Education 416
Northeastern State University is set to host three esteemed Native American scholars at the 52nd Annual Symposium on the American Indian.
March 15, 2025 Neely Bardwell Education 2072
On Wednesday, March 12, the U.S. Department of Education announced significant staff reductions, cutting nearly half of its workforce.
Arts & Entertainment
March 17, 2025 Chickasaw Nation Media Arts & Entertainment 1223
SULPHUR, Okla. – In the shadow of devastation caused by an EF3 tornado almost a year ago, organizers are preparing for the 12th annual Artesian Arts Festival, a daylong celebration of First American art and culture, Saturday, April 5, at the Artesian Plaza.
March 10, 2025 Kaili Berg Arts & Entertainment 3653
AMC’s critically acclaimed series “Dark Winds” returned for its third season yesterday. Set in the 1970s Southwest, the series follows Navajo Tribal Police officers Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, and Bernadette Manuelito as they confront a string of increasingly complex and dangerous cases.
Health
Environment
March 13, 2025 Native News Online Staff Environment 1397
Leaders of the Seneca Nation are once again calling on the City of Olean, New York to take decisive action to fix longstanding failures in its wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. These failures have led to the chronic discharge of untreated sewage into the Allegheny River—an invaluable natural and cultural resource for the Seneca people.
February 21, 2025 Jennifer Wybieracki Environment 2616
NUIQSUT, Alaska — On a summer evening last August, the gravel roads led residents toward Nuiqsut’s Trapper School for an Iñupiat ceremonial dance. The village of just over 500 welcomed congressmen from across Alaska, a week before the state’s primary election. Wooden bleachers in the school’s new gymnasium, paid for with oil money, were crowded with excited locals sitting behind the state congressmen filling in the first two rows. Performers sat in the center of the gym, with the men in the front row wearing green regalia, and women, wearing pink, filed into the second and third rows. Each dance told a unique story. One performed by the village’s young boys was about fighting your enemy. Each pair of boys mimicked punches and jabs to the beat of drums, but by the end of the dance, they shook hands, stronger as a pair. Read the story at Native News Online .