Northwest Area Foundation Partners With Three American Indian Tribes To Reduce Poverty The Northwest Area Foundation will partner with three American Indian reservations to reduce poverty long-term. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe reservation in central South Dakota, the Lummi Nation reservation in northwest Washington, and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa reservation in North Dakota have each agreed to enter into a 10-year partnership with the foundation. Each of the three agreements is distinct and based upon a strategic plan over 10 years. The foundation, which will support each partnership with a total of $6 to $10 million, worked with each reservation separately to evaluate each strategic plan independent of the others. "We are very honored and very excited to form this unique relationship with three distinct American Indian nations," said Karl Stauber, president and CEO of the foundation. "We are eager to join each reservation community in implementing strategies that will go long and deep in an effort to reduce poverty for the long term. Our intention is to gather the lessons learned from these efforts and offer them throughout Indian Country so that other tribes can make lasting inroads against poverty and for prosperity across their communities." The Cheyenne River reservation will receive an initial $2.5 million grant to focus on workforce and economic development, promoting income-generating opportunities in remote settlements, youth leadership internships, improving cross-reservation communications, establishing financial literacy and individual savings account programs. As agreement milestones are met, the partnership will be supported by an additional $7 million over the life of the partnership. "The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe would like to thank the Northwest Area Foundation for expanding their Ventures initiative to include tribal reservations," said tribal chairman Harold Frazier. "We appreciate their respectful approach that promotes tribally designated strategies. This approach allowed our plan to be holistic, connected to our cultural values and targeted at stimulating sustained growth for our economy. The Tribe is looking forward to strengthening our families, our communities and our partnerships as we implement our Tribal Ventures Ten Year Poverty Reduction Plan. Our partnership with the NWAF will help us direct resources toward meaningful strategies moving our people toward prosperity." The Lummi Nation Reservation's initial grant of $1 million will focus on small-business and micro-enterprise development to create jobs and business ownership opportunities, support for rejuvenating the fishing industries, daycare expansion, improving transportation for workers, and promoting financial literacy. Up to $5 million in additional funding will be disbursed over the 10-year partnership as it meets agreement milestones. "We recognize what a wonderful opportunity this is for the Lummi, and we are excited for this chance to reduce poverty in our community," said tribal chairman Darrell Hillaire. "This project represents a long-term commitment to address the symptoms of poverty our people face. It lies at the root of many of Lummi's problems, and we see this funding as a chance to help our people become self-sufficient." The Turtle Mountain Reservation's first grant of $2.9 million focuses on mobilizing the reservation for poverty reduction, youth leadership, making full use of income supplements, establishing an Enterprise Center to spur business ownership and jobs, revitalization of downtown Belcourt, and using tax credits to develop housing, utilities and tourism economic engines. "I have always thought that American Indian tribes needed the equivalent of the Marshall Plan in which the United States rebuilt Europe after World War II," said tribal chairman Ken Davis. "I see this project as that type of effort. With the three pathways our strategic plan covers, we look forward to planting the seeds necessary for us to grow and build not only a self-sustaining economy, but also our most valuable resource, the members of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa." In The News Foundation Gives Lakota Tribe $2.5M Grant To Curb Rise In Poverty Sioux Falls (S.D.) Argus Leader Lummis Win $1M Grant To Fight Poverty Bellingham (Wash.) Herald Tribe To Partner With Minnesota Foundation To Fight Poverty Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald > More headlines

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