06/15/2026
My Fellow Scouts and Scouters,
After much discussion, reflection, and care, we have made the decision that the Tribe of the Silver Tomahawk will no longer use Native American regalia, Native American themes, or Native American culture as the basis for our ceremonies or program. This summer will be the final year of dancing, outfitting, and ceremonies as we know them.
We know it will not be easy for many of our members to hear this. For generations, the ceremonies, traditions, and experiences of the Silver Tomahawk have been a major part of the lives of thousands of Scouts and Scouters. Many of us can look back on nights at Camp Eastman, moments around the fire, time spent preparing outfits, earning recognition, serving others, and standing beside brothers who helped shape who we became. These memories matter, and they always will.
We also recognize the deep respect, service, and brotherhood that so many have found through this organization over the years. Silver Tomahawk has never been just about a ceremony or an outfit. It has been about calling young people to something higher: service, leadership, commitment, and a lasting connection to Scouting and Camp Eastman.
While this change is difficult, it also gives us the opportunity to build something new while preserving the heart of who we are.
Over the coming months, a new Silver Tomahawk Honor Society program will be presented. This new program will continue to strive to be a youth-run organization that encourages Scouts to stay active, involved, and committed to Scouting. Our goal remains the same: to recognize, challenge, and inspire Scouts and Scouters who give of themselves to the service of others.
We will still proudly wear our logchains. We will keep the recognitions we have earned. We will continue to recognize members who go above and beyond through the earning of coups. The outward appearance of some of our ceremonies and traditions may change, but the purpose behind them will remain strong.
Our core foundation will not change. Our Four Resolutions will not change. Our dedication to Camp Eastman, our heart’s reservation, will not change.
As we move forward, we will also take this opportunity to become more involved with the Mississippi Valley Council and the troops that make it up. Silver Tomahawk has always existed to serve Scouting, and this next chapter gives us the chance to strengthen that service, support more units, and provide a meaningful honor society experience for future generations.
We ask for your patience, support, and open mind as this transition takes place. Change is never easy, especially when it involves traditions that have meant so much to so many people. It is okay to feel nostalgia, pride, uncertainty, and hope all at the same time. Those feelings show how deeply this organization has mattered to you.
But we believe the spirit of Silver Tomahawk is bigger than any one ceremony, symbol, or theme. The strength of this organization has always lived in its members, in the Scouts who step forward, the leaders who give their time, the service offered to camp, and the bonds built along the way.
Silver Tomahawk will move forward with respect for our past, dedication to our present members, and confidence in the future of Scouting.
Our legacy is not ending. It is continuing in a new way.
In service,
The Tribal Executive Committee
