Tule River Memorial Day parade

Tribe's Memorial Parade tradition grows—30 entrants, 20 floats

By Sabrina ZieglerA Memorial Day tradition of honoring American soldiers with a parade and free-to-the-public luncheon in the heart of the Tule River Indian Reservation is drawing a slightly larger turnout each year, said a few of those who took part in the festivities Monday. This year, close to 30 entrants, and about 20 floats, made the procession, starting at the Tule River Tribal offices, and looping around across the Million Dollar Bridge, Silver Bridge and back toward the Tribal office. This way, people could view the parade from the school playground neighboring the Tribal office, or from anywhere along that route, including—for some—their front yards.And:The parade had a familial touch to it. The entries included vehicles dressed in red, white and blue decorations, memorial floats with the photographs of fallen loved ones that served in the U.S. military, and plenty of area veterans, in addition to young dancers dressed in Native American regalia, a Citrus Tule South School District bus full of kids, a horse drawn wagon, Eagle Mountain Casino performer Ray Flores, the 11th Airborne Division, Casino security guards and the drum group Painted Rock Singers.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Weaponized Drone = Indian Savage and Indians in the Military.

Below:  "Members of Tule River Native Veterans Post 1987 hold flags honoring the divisions in which they served during Monday's Tule River Memorial Parade at the Tule River Indian Reservation." (Dean Alari for the Recorder)