2008 Success Stories
The Fort Belknap Reservation is located in northern Montana, and is the home of the Assiniboine (Nakoda) and Gros Ventre (White Clay) people. There are over 5,200 enrolled community members, of which 2,900 reside on the reservation. Lodge Pole is the most remote community on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.
The purpose of this project was to develop a culturally and socially appropriate horsemanship program to improve the social environment for residents in and around the Lodge Pole community. The greatest untapped resource in the community prior to the project was the residents’ many horses, the majority of which were untamed and difficult to ride. The project introduced, or reintroduced, “horse culture” to the community through riding lessons and horse care training. Project staff created the Nakoda Horse Society (NHS) and began teaching riding and horse care lessons two to three times per week, to roughly ten youth in the first year. Lessons were taught by native horsemanship consultants from the area and classes included the taming of wild horses. To motivate students, staff developed a participation incentive program that involved awarding small prizes for consistent participation and riding improvement. By the end of the third year, attendance grew to 60 students per lesson and staff taught classes 5 days a week. Staff also utilized a professional tack maker to teach traditional knotting and tack types, including: halters, bridles, saddlebags, breastplates and hobbles. One of the first lessons was how to make a saddle rack to help protect the participants’ saddles, an important seminar due to the group’s limited supply. As a supporting activity, community elders shared their traditional stories of horses with the youth, who compiled them into the NHS “Stories by Elders.”
Youth participated in several horse-related activities each month, including parades, powwows, and other community events throughout Montana. To help support the activities, staff relied heavily on volunteers from the community to supply horses, trailers, fuel, and mentorship to the young riders.
For community youth, the project engendered a sense of responsibility for the horses, as well as pride in their participation in community events. Local teachers, some of whom volunteered on the project, reported that school attendance dramatically improved during the project and vandalism diminished. In addition, the project’s focus on physical activity may have a positive impact on the youths’ health. Nearly 100 community youth participated in project activities.
To maintain the project’s momentum, staff and community members will continue to hold riding classes voluntarily.
Contact Information:
Dodie Bell, Project Director
Email: dodibel@hotmail.com
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) are a union of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla tribes. Of CTUIR’s 2,472 enrolled members, roughly 1,350 reside on or near the reservation, located in eastern Oregon. The languages for all three tribes are distinct and all are experiencing dramatic declines as older generations of fluent speakers are lost. Prior to this project, the tribes counted only 44 elders who spoke at least one of the three languages: Walla Walla - 5, Umatilla - 14, and Cayuse/Nez Perce - 25.
The purpose of this project was to preserve the three languages by creating educational curricula and training language teachers to be fluent speakers through a master-apprentice learning system. The project first developed three separate assessment tools to measure apprentice-teacher fluency in their chosen language. The assessments were designed to be compatible with the Northwest Indian Language Institute (NILI) benchmarks and the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages, which are the regional standards for measuring fluency in native languages. Staff combined formal testing methods with the master teacher preference for intuitive ratings to create an assessment for each language that measures proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Staff was able to use the assessment to rank each apprentice’s language skill as novice, intermediate, or advanced, with each of these categories further divided into low, medium and high rankings. Master-teachers trained a total of nine apprentice-teachers during the project, of which five achieved at least mid-level intermediate fluency ratings from the master-teachers. Apprentices also completed training in Total Physical Response teaching techniques, language technology, and NILI curriculum development and teaching methods.
Master and apprentice-teachers successfully developed curricula for all three languages for grades 6-12 and taught Walla Walla, Cayuse/Nez Perce and Umatilla language classes to 93 junior and high school students. Ancillary to original objectives, staff developed a curriculum for the CTUIR’s Head Start program, which apprentice-teachers taught to 53 children twice a week for 25 minutes during the project’s third year.
For CTUIR, the new language speakers represent a new generation of fluent language speakers, thereby providing momentum for the community’s hopes to revitalize and maintain the three native languages. The five new speakers represent an 11% increase in the number of fluent speakers in the community.
To sustain project momentum, the CTUIR Education Department received a three-year, $600,000 award from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education. The funds will absorb three of the six apprentice positions into two full-time teacher and one project director/teacher positions. In addition, staff submitted a supplemental budget to the CTUIR Executive Director to maintain six apprentice positions in an effort to continue the master-apprentice teaching model.
Contact Information:
Zenaida Lyles, Project Director
Email: zenaidalyles@ctuir.comThe Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) was founded in 1997 as a nonprofit coalition of Tribes and First Nations located within the Yukon River watershed in Alaska. The area is home to 76 distinct indigenous governments, of which 66 are signatories to the YRITWC’s governing Inter-Tribal Accord, which commits members to cooperate and consult with each other on matters affecting the watershed.
Currently, several hard rock mineral mines operate within the watershed that use cyanide heap-leaching, which has the potential to cause drastic environmental damage if not properly managed. In addition, insufficiently-treated human sewage and poorly constructed and located landfills pose threats to the health of the watershed and its residents.
The purpose of this project was to expand and enhance YRITWC’s water monitoring and sampling efforts in the watershed. The project implemented a sampling regimen that utilized the watershed’s tribal residents to take 344 water quality samples following the guidelines set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To ensure the samples’ scientific validity, ten YRITWC staff learned water sampling protocol by taking the EPA’s approved Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP). The volunteers sent the samples forward to YRITWC. To conduct water quality testing, YRITWC partnered with the US Geological Survey (USGS). Each sample test consisted of seven separate studies, including: PH levels, metals, nutrients, major ions, dissolved gases, age of water, and eutrophication. The test results created critical baseline data for the watershed, identified the river basin’s main contaminate, and discovered the source of contamination.
Once the analysis was completed, staff drafted water quality standards, created a legal handbook containing reference information for applicable resource laws, gave four presentations to members at the YRITWC biannual summit regarding the findings, and authored articles for the organizational newsletter. Staff presented the water quality standards to the YRITWC Board for review, conducted a legal review of the standards, and passed them forward to member tribal councils for review.
These standards will not supersede Alaska standards but, if passed and adhered to by all YRITWC member tribes, can improve the watershed’s management and provide an example for future legislation.
The YRITWC’s participatory water sampling methodology resulted in a vast network of partnerships throughout the watershed. The network allows sampling to be conducted regularly and cheaply throughout the region, saving government agencies millions of dollars in staff and travel time. The YRITWC estimated that government agencies saved roughly $5.1 million in 2008 alone. In addition, the participatory method used to implement this project has generated interest both nationally and internationally, with organizations seeking to replicate the community support aspects of the project. To sustain sampling activities, YRITWC staff felt the local communities needed three years of additional capacity building before they would be ready to conduct sampling without external assistance. Staff continues to conduct trainings and maintains the regional partnership network.
Contact Information:
Bryan Maracle, Project Director
Email: bmaracle@yritwc.com
Project Title: Building Tribal Capacity Through the Development of an Ecosystem-Based Plan
Project Start/End Dates: 9/30/2005 - 9/29/2008
Total Grant Amount: $744,493
“The village is proactively participating in future plans and improving the health of the community. There is a positive community presence, and people think of the village in a positive way, fostering goodwill.”
-Lisa Borowski, Project Director
Chickaloon Native Village is an Ahtna Athabascan community located in south-central Alaska. The Chickaloon community consists of 250 tribal citizens, however approximately 59,000 people live in the immediate area. The tribe owns 69,000 acres of land in the Matanuska-Susitna borough. The Chickaloon community is facing enormous development pressure, and required an effective way to advocate for protection of their land, resources, and culture. There is also a high unemployment rate in the area, partially due to a lack of tribal businesses.
The purpose of this project was to develop an ecosystem-based development plan for the Tribe and write two tribal business plans based on its conclusions. Project staff first focused on involving the community in the plan’s development through public meetings and community events. As drafts of the interpretive maps and the ecosystem-based plan were developed, additional community meetings were held to collect feedback from tribal citizens and modify the documents accordingly. This participatory process minimized conflict from the differing opinions regarding the development of tribal land. Project staff then met with representatives from federal agencies in the area, such as the US Geological Survey and the Environmental Protection Agency, to assess any pre-existing documentation. Staff also conducted 42 personal interviews with elders, botanists and soil scientists, tribal and non-tribal citizens to collect informational knowledge on land use. Interviewees placed markers on maps of the area identifying areas of current, past, and desired future use. This included vegetation patterns, structures, historical and cultural sites, hunting grounds, and berry-picking areas. Project staff collaborated with a consultant to conduct ground truthing fieldwork at seven sites in the area to verify the information collected during the interviews. After completing the research, interviews and fieldwork, project staff created eighteen maps of the Matanuska watershed. The maps include information on human use and ecological patterns, while also assessing land risk and sensitivity in order to determine where development would be best suited. The Tribe used the information from the maps to develop business plans for two sustainable and green development projects: a greenhouse supported with alternative energy and a campsite with interpretive trails. Staff also authored an ecosystem-based plan which provides an introduction of the project, its methodology, business planning process, map development process, and a section for recommendations.
Due to the information collected and documented during this project, the Chickaloon Tribe is more knowledgeable of their cultural and environmental resources, as well as threats to their way of life. This knowledge facilitates a more informed decision-making process, while fostering a united community voice on local development projects. The Tribe will utilize the database and maps to make informed decisions about future development projects.Contact Information:
Lisa Borowsky
Email: lisab@chickaloon.orgThe Fort Apache Indian Reservation, home of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, is located in northeastern Arizona. There are currently 13,500 enrolled members of the Tribe, with approximately 54% under the age of 25. To address community problems of truancy and high dropout rates, community members requested increased services and activities for youth, including after-school and summer activities, playgrounds, educational programs, and sports activities.
The purpose of this project was to establish a Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA) chapter for the White Mountain Apache Tribe. Project staff completed minor renovations of and purchased furnishings for the building intended to host the club, in addition to developing a security plan for the building. The Housing Authority security crew included the club building in their rotations, and installed a new security system in the building. Project staff applied for and received a grant to install a computer lab in the building, and several organizations and individuals donated equipment and materials to the club. The club opened its doors in early April 2006, being officially chartered by the BGCA in mid-December of that year. It is open twelve months a year and had a membership of 178 in its first year. Throughout the project, staff recruited individuals to serve on an advisory board in order to develop the club’s by-laws, strategic plan, and action plan in accordance to BGCA’s requirements. Project staff also established a youth advisory board consisting of club members who provide feedback and input regarding the club’s activities. Three programs began in the first year, and five additional programs were added the second year. These programs operate in accordance with BGCA and include: Skills Mastery and Resistance Training (SMART Moves Program), MethSMART, Homework Power Hour, Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs, Project Career, and Rising Above the Influence. In 2008, two smaller extension clubs opened in the reservation towns of Cibique and McNary, each operating a playground and a full schedule of youth programs. The combined membership of all three clubs during the third project year was 385 individuals.
Tribal youth enrolled at the club benefited greatly from the BGCA facilities and programs. The after school homework programs increased the youths’ reading and math skills, which positively impacted academic performance. The club provided the children with healthy snacks and sports programs, thereby improving health and well-being. Finally, programs, such as MethSMART and Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs, cultivated positive life and decision-making skills.
The White Mountain Apache Tribe Boys and Girls Club and its extension units in Cibique and McNary will continue offering and expanding their programs with full funding from BGCA. Staff shared that membership continues to increase as the popularity of the programs grows.
Contact Information:
Michelle Clarkson, Club Manager
Email: michelleclarkson10@gmail.com
The Choctaw Nation, a federally recognized tribe in southeastern Oklahoma, has a membership of 160,052 people, 69,000 of whom reside in its 10½ county service area. The Tribe has an extremely rural service area, with no major cities within its boundaries. The rugged, mountainous terrain and poor highway system make it difficult for people to access services unless they are offered close to their homes.
The purpose of the project was to address the Nation’s social problems by increasing knowledge among community members about the personal and social benefits of a healthy marriage, and developing skills needed to maintain healthy marriages and provide safe environments for children. To market the project’s activities, project staff conducted speaking engagements at community events, schools, churches, and domestic violence shelters, with various local and tribal coalitions, and civic and religious organizations. Staff also published news articles in tribal and local newspapers, provided project updates on the Choctaw website, and used billboards, brochures, flyers, and a youth poster-making contest to reach community members. Staff formed a network of partnerships, which provided referrals, promoted project activities among their constituencies, and offered alternative meeting and training sites. With the marketing campaign and partners in place, staff facilitated the development of healthy relationship and parenting skills through the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP). PREP includes training classes, parenting courses, and marriage enrichment activities. Over the project’s three year timeframe, 539 people completed PREP workshops at various sites located in the service area. A total of 5,177 people attended marriage enrichment activities such as ceremonies honoring elder couples at festivals, dances, powwows, cookouts, storytelling sessions, challenge courses, and team building activities. Staff also broadened the impact of the project by incorporating a marriage enrichment component into the counseling, treatment, and family support components of the Choctaw Nation’s Behavioral Health programs.
Overall, approximately 9,200 people, including couples, parents, children, and elders, took part in this project. To assess the project’s benefits, staff spoke with and surveyed couples, singles, parents, and children throughout the project’s duration. They learned that the PREP training enabled married couples and single participants, from both stable and at-risk home environments, to discover new communication techniques, learn about problem solving, manage conflict, and create more fun, friendship, and intimacy in their marriages and relationships. Couples cited improved listening skills, stronger commitment to their partners, and “an end to the cycle of domestic violence” as positive project results. Couples also learned to reduce the stress that parenting placed on their marriages, and parenting course participants learned to encourage more cooperation, responsibility, and higher self-esteem in their children.
Though the project has ended, project staff members and counselors trained in PREP will remain employed with the Choctaw Nation and continue to offer healthy relationship services.
Contact Information:
Mary Ayn Tullier, Project Coordinator
Email: matullier@cnhsa.comThe Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYAFC) was founded in 1974 in Portland, Oregon. NAYAFC was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1994 to provide a variety of family and community support services to the approximately 55,000 Native Americans living in the Portland area.
The purpose of the project was to increase the economic well-being of Native Americans living in the Portland area by creating a workforce development program that offers employment guidance, skills training, and job search assistance. During the project timeframe, staff enrolled 366 clients in the employment program. Of those enrolled, 313 clients participated in at least one employment workshop. Of these, 116 clients completed the full 6-week job readiness program, which consisted of 15 workshops that covered such topics as resume writing, goal setting, communication in the workplace, time management, and preparing for a job interview. Additionally, 56 clients completed a community service project. To gauge project effectiveness and impact, project staff contacted all clients on a monthly basis to procure feedback and receive employment status updates. At the end of the project timeframe, staff maintained an active client list of 239 program participants. Of the 239 active program clients, 137 (57%) were employed at the conclusion of the project. Of these 137 clients, 84 were working in full-time positions and 53 received part-time jobs. Furthermore, staff discovered that of the clients that were not yet employed, 33 individuals had enrolled in a GED program, 32 participants were pursuing higher education, and 16 clients were attending, or had recently completed, a vocational education training program. NAYAFC clients attributed their success to the personalized guidance and training of the project staff. The staff’s dedication to consistently follow-up with clients, and to encourage those not yet employed to continue their training in the program, yielded positive results. Indeed, project staff aimed to move their clients out of crisis mode to allow them to focus on their personal goals. In collaboration with community partners, staff secured bus tickets, clothing appropriate for job interviews, and rent assistance for clients expressing need. Staff members shared that the project’s benefits and successes have served to expand and strengthen NAYAFC's reputation as a service capable of augmenting the reformation of Native American livelihoods.
To sustain the project, staff applied for and secured two local workforce development contracts totaling $284,000. One of these contracts is renewable for up to seven years, signifying that the employment program is sustainable through 2015, and will continue to be available for all Portland-area Native Americans in need of employment guidance, skills training, and job placement assistance.
Contact Information:
Tamra Russell, Employment Program Manager
Email: tamrar@nayapdx.orgThe Quapaw Tribe is located in Ottawa County in northeastern Oklahoma and counts a total tribal enrollment of 3,752 individuals. Located within the tribal service area is the Tar Creek Superfund site, a highly contaminated area due to over 50 years of lead and zinc mining. At the time this project was conceived, 1,790 people lived within the contamination zone, 780 of which were Quapaw tribal members. Due to the toxic conditions, over 60% of the area’s residents accepted federal buy-out assistance to relocate their homes. The situation has devastated the tax base necessary to continue to offer emergency services to the remaining 6,000 native and non-native citizens of Ottawa County.
The purpose of the project was to establish the Quapaw Tribal Ambulance Service in order to continue to offer emergency services within northeastern Oklahoma. The Tribe first developed and implemented all necessary organizational infrastructure and administrative systems to operate and sustain a tribally-owned ambulance service. The Tribe hired a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic to direct project activities. Project staff established a partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Health to access the codes and regulations established for the state’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. The Quapaw Tribal Council adopted the codes and regulations which set emergency medical treatment guidelines and patient care protocol for tribal EMS staff. Project staff then developed a rate structure for services offered and established a third party billing system for payment collection. Staff incorporated a system of reduced rates for tribal members into the structure. In collaboration with Ottawa County, project staff developed GIS/GPS maps of the service area for use in emergency call response. Project staff procured the county’s EMS vehicles and equipment, and leveraged an additional $500,000 from the Quapaw Tribe to refurbish outdated equipment. The Tribe also established two sub-stations, thereby expanding the service area to approximately 18,000 people and reducing emergency response time. To staff the expansion, the Quapaw Tribal Ambulance Service hired 19 Paramedic EMT positions, 8 Basic EMT positions and 7 administrative positions, for a total of 34 permanent EMS staff.
Overall, project staff developed a comprehensive organizational infrastructure for the Quapaw Tribal Ambulance Service to provide emergency medical services to the Ottawa County community. The Quapaw Tribal Ambulance Service also provides medical services to three nursing homes and coverage for local high school football games, signifying that the entity has become an integral and trusted part of the local community.
All services will continue through a combination of income from fee payments and tribal appropriations. Additionally, EMS staff has opened discussions with state and local leadership to acquire a portion of tax receipts to fund program operations and to incorporate Quapaw EMS staff into the Oklahoma State pension fund.
Contact Information:
Jeff Reeves, Emergency Services Project Director
Email: jreeves@quapawtribe.com
Project Title: The Bering Strait Regional Cultural Center Planning ProjectProject Start/End Dates: 9/30/2005 – 9/29/2008
Total Grant Amount: $362,458
“We want to provide a depth of knowledge to our youth about who they are and the need for them to maintain and perpetuate their culture.”
-Simon Bekoalok, Shaktoolik village representative
“There is a correlation between the loss of culture and the negative social trends we are witnessing. We can combat this by celebrating our culture and reinstating our pride.”
-Loretta Bullard, Kawerak president
Kawerak, Inc., with headquarters in Nome, Alaska, was organized as a nonprofit corporation 1973. Kawerak provides a variety of services to the twenty Native Alaska villages located in the Bering Straits Region: Diomede, Shishmaref, Wales, Brevig Mission, Mary's Igloo, Teller, King Island, Gambell, Savoonga, Nome, Solomon, Council, Koyuk, Elim, Golovin, White Mountain, Shaktoolik, Unakaleet, St. Michael, and Stebbins. The population of the 20 communities is approximately 9,000 people.
In 2004, the Kawerak Board of Directors purchased a 28,000 square foot lot adjacent to the Kawerak offices with the intent of constucting a regional museum and cultural center on the site.
The purpose of the project was to develop comprehensive plans for the museum and cultural center to preserve the region’s cultural history and share unique perspectives on the Native Alaskan culture. Project staff identified Kawerak’s Eskimo Heritage Program and Subsistence Program as key project partners, and agreed to collaborate on the museum design process and share resources for future development of displays and showcases. Project staff also developed formal agreements with two local partners, Sitnasuak Native Village Corporation and Bering Strait Native Corporation, to collaborate in the museum planning process and to collect and share museum display content. Additionally, staff secured authorizing resolutions from the twenty constituent villages in their service area. Leaders from each of the villages formed a Cultural Advisory Committee to assess project progress on a monthly basis.
Project staff contracted with an architectural firm to develop concept design plans for the cultural center. With guidance from the Cultural Advisory Committee, the firm finalized plans for a $15 million museum design that includes canoe and sea mammal conceptual design elements to reflect the Bering Strait region's maritime culture. Project staff developed a presentation summarizing the museum planning and design phases, and delivered the presentation to six villages within the project timeframe. To broaden outreach efforts, staff also distributed brochures that detail the design plans. Staff obtained community feedback from post-presentation surveys. Survey analysis indicated interest in focusing museum program content on language acquisition, subsistence culture, and showcasing various aspects of the Inupiaq, Central Yupik, and Siberian Yupik cultures present in the Bering Straits region of Alaska. With this feedback, project staff completed the museum's business plan, which includes an acquisition policy, administrative policies and procedures, and an operational plan. Staff also authored a fundraising plan to secure the $15 million needed to construct the finalized design plan. Fundraising activities will commence at the conclusion of the project timeframe.
For Kawerak’s twenty constituent villages, progress on the museum project has created a sense of excitement, expectation, cultural reawakening, and hope. Community involvement in the planning and design phases fostered a sense of empowerment and project ownership, thereby unifying Kawerak’s constituent communities behind the common vision of a place to celebrate their cultures. For community members, the museum represents a place to call their own, and provides an opportunity to teach Native Alaskan youth their cultural traditions.
Contact Information:
Trudy Anderson, Project Director
Email: culture@kawerak.orgHana Community Health Center, or Hana Health, is a nonprofit organization formed in 1994, and is located on the island of Maui. The mission of Hana Health is to improve the health and wellness of the Native Hawaiian community of Hana. Hana Health is the only medical facility in Hana, and serves about 3,000 residents. Hana Health provides prevention-oriented health care, acute and chronic care, urgent care, dental care, and limited laboratory testing and x-ray services to clients. Recently, Hana Health created Hana Fresh to encourage healthy eating habits within the local population.
The purpose of the project was to create a self-sustaining produce farm that provides local employment opportunities to Native Hawaiians, and boosted healthy eating habits of the local population by increasing the amount of fresh produce consumed in the community. Staff first created the Hana Fresh logo and packaging material to brand and publicize the farm’s produce. During the project timeframe, project staff doubled the size of the farm to six acres, installed three greenhouses, and experimented with a variety of crops to meet client demand. Project staff restricted employment to Hana residents with a history of substance abuse. All workers underwent pre-employment drug screening and were monitored during work hours. Staff also provided an employee counseling program to all employees. Over the course of the three years, the farm employed sixteen full-time and five part-time workers. Hana Fresh sold approximately 120,757 pounds of produce over the project’s three year timeframe, and up to 41% of produce was sold locally. By the end of the project period, staff secured five steady accounts. Overall, the farm collected $362,273 in revenue during the project timeframe.
The implementation of project activities increased local consumption of fruits and vegetables by hosting a local farmer’s market and providing free produce to 400 school children and 95 elders. By the second year of the project, consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables increased 22% among the targeted community. By the third year, consumption increased slightly, but did not reach the planned 50% threshold. The farm will continue to cultivate organic produce and employ local residents. The Maui community will therefore continue to benefit both economically and health-wise from having a farmer’s market that includes fresh and organic produce. In addition, the farm workers stated that the success of the farm encouraged local residents to create their own backyard gardens. The Hana Fresh farm will be sustained by program income and funds from Hana Health.
Contact Information:
Cheryl Vasconcellos, Executive Director
Email: cvasconcellos@hanahealth.org
