GREEN

Infrastructure

Grant

Status: Closed     Overview     Details     How to Apply    Participants

Green Infrastructure Grant

Na’ah Illahee places high value on sustainability projects in Indian Country that provide long-lasting results and move us towards climate resilience and regenerative economies.

Overview

The purpose of the Na’ah Illahee Fund’s Green Infrastructure Capacity Building Grant is to support projects to revitalize and strengthen Mother Earth and her living systems. Water is sacred, as is its protection. The revitalization of our waterways is critical to rejuvenating our homelands. NIF provides support for projects that include the development and integration of projects geared toward renewable energy, energy sovereignty, solid waste management, stormwater management, land restoration, and clean waterways. We support the restoration and stewardship of culturally relevant sites and promote the healing of the land. We encourage organizations to apply who address unjust policies that have disproportionately resulted in decades of environmental degradation and negative impacts on Indigenous peoples’ lands.

Status: Closed
 
Criteria:

We Seek To Support

We seek to fund projects led by Indigenous people that aim to increase or create access to traditional foods and medicines through community programming, workshops, and skill sharing. Our goal is to fund those uplifting food sovereign nations that revitalize Indigenous lifeways that prioritize people and the environment over profit.

Examples of funding requests & projects that qualify:

  • Networks that provide opportunities to tend the land and interact with our traditional gathering sites, share gathering techniques, stories and protocols of foods and medicines
  • Teaching hunting skills, lifeways of animals, hunting safety, and shared wisdom of respect for game brought to tables, protocols and preparation
  • Installation of community kitchens to can and process food from gardening, hunting or fishing to feed community
  • Community gardens, family gardens and food forests to provide fresh food, increase community education on gardening practices and harvesting skills
  • Community skill-sharing, hands on workshops and program development, designed around Native food system sand medicine gathering, processing, preparation and preservation of food
  • Projects that are revitalizing traditional farming and traditional food system practices and lifeways
  • Seed harvesting, seed saving, seed sharing and plant harvesting of traditional Native foods
  • Creating local sustainable food systems that are based on Traditional Ecological Knowledge
  • Resurgence in traditional trade/commerce culture and food cooperatives between communities
  • Food sovereignty assessments and community project planning & design
  • Creating educational materials geared towards traditional food sovereignty and traditional food gathering rights, tribal sovereignty and field trips to gather
  • Traditional breastfeeding trainings to support our first food and nutritional care for birthing families

Who Should Apply?

Applicants must be located in the Greater Northwest region: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and British Columbia, and are eligible for funding under this program.

  1. Indigenous or First Nation-led nonprofit organizations: 501(c)3 or Canadian Registered Charities; or community groups with Fiscal Sponsor (Sponsorship Agreement must be included in the application)
  2. Indigenous Individuals, Alaska Natives or First Nation Individuals with Tribal Affiliation
  3. Native American Tribes, Alaska Native Corps, First Nation Bands or Departments of Tribal Governments/First Nation Bands

* For Na’ah Illahee Fund, Indigenous includes anyone who holds tribal affiliation/identifies with Indigenous nations in North, Central, or South America or identifies as Native Hawaiian. Grantees are only eligible to receive one Na’ah Illahee grant per calendar year, as funding is limited and we wish to touch as many Native communities as possible.

What Types Of Groups Are We Unable To Support?

We are passionate about our beliefs and we want to be sure that the organizations that we support match our ethics.

As a result, our Food Sovereignty grant does not provide grants to:

    • Indigenous Applicants are required to complete the online application, Non-Indigenous people completing applications for others will not be reviewed or accepted
    • Groups that practice or promote racism, sexism, homophobia, or any form of oppression or exploitation of other humans or the natural world
    • Promote or support violence, aggression, or oppression or any infringement on other people
    • Force, coerce or exclude others based on religious or spiritual beliefs
    • Are not making an effort to be environmentally responsible
    • Are connected to political parties, political rallies or otherwise partisan in their work
Status: Closed
How do you apply? Applications are submitted via our online granting system Submittable. Submittable is an online platform and it is a free service. Please go to www.Submittable.com to create an account, then fill out the step by step application. Through Submittable we ask for your basic contact information, organization name, project name, name of Tribal community served, governance structure and 501(c)3 EIN #, groups Fiscally Sponsored (you signed Fiscal Sponsorship agreement must be attached). The budgetary information we will ask for will be the total project budget and will ask for a general breakdown. Additionally we ask for: a brief history of your project or organization, a paragraph to tell us how your project works, how it will address concerns in your community, who is involved, what benefits it will have, and other resources you have access to. To save you time during the application process, we suggest you prepare answers to those questions in a document in advance to think your answers through, then when you apply in Submittable it easily allows you to copy and paste. We understand that access to online platforms can be its own form of exclusivity. If you need to fill out an application in writing, by email, or by phone please contact Na’ah Illahee Fund’s Grants Program Officer and they will assist. How do we make decisions? Na’ah Illahee funding priorities & how proposals are weighed:
  • Applications must be filled out by the Indigenous applicant, if not it will not be considered
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered
  • We make grants in support of innovative, solutions-oriented projects that are rooted in cultural traditions
  • We support community projects that connect people to Na’ah Illahee (Mother Earth) and cultural teachings
  • Preference will be given to intergenerational activities that pass critical knowledge from elders to youth
  • We will award grants that reach those most vulnerable in hard-to-reach places
  • We aim to support those populations with little or no access to resources
Please understand that applications often exceed available funding. Our goal is to fully fund all applications, but the amount provided will be based on the availability of funds and the number of requests under review. What is our grant making process?
  1. Apply Indigenous only applicants will fill out & complete the application via Submittable before the deadline.
  2. Review Grant period ends, then the Grant Committee will convene to review all applications. The committee will approve or deny recipients for grant funds.
  3. Notify Recipients will then be notified via U.S. mail, so please ensure your current address is on file. If approved, an award letter will be sent along with a check for the amount awarded by the Grant Committee.
  4. Reflect We expect follow up from you about the impact your project provided to your community.
What are the next steps if your application is approved or denied? The grantmaking committee review of submitted applications will occur Feb. 18-28, 2022, award letters and denials will be sent in March 2022. Na’ah Illahee Fund will send checks with award letters via U.S. mail. Na’ah Illahee Fund appreciates your efforts and the contributions your work adds to your community. Our reporting requirements are not burdensome and we will follow up to find out what impact your efforts have had in your Native community. That is all we ask of you!   Need assistance? If you have questions, seek clarification or assistance with your application, please contact: Joni Crines, Grants Program Officer via email: joni@naahillahee.org or phone: (206) 565-8041.

Participants

2023 - 2024 Grant Projects

Congratulations to the 2023 Na’ah Illahee Fund’s Green Infrastructure Capacity Building Grant recipients! Seven groups spanning four regions received funding totaling $303,200. This funding opportunity provides capacity-building grants for projects in AK (3), MT (1), WA (1), and British Columbia (2) that promote the healing of the land.

We encouraged organizations to apply who address unjust policies that have disproportionately resulted in decades of environmental degradation and negative impacts on Indigenous peoples’ lands. Projects also include: farms, educational materials, sharing and preserving traditional hunting, traditional birthing knowledge, and ecological and cultural knowledge. We look to fund impactful groups implementing integrated green infrastructure projects in their communities.

Together, we will dream and provide for our community-led vision of a healthy, revitalized, flourishing Mother Earth.

2023 - 2024 Participants

K’emcnitkw Floodplain Re-engagement project – Phase IV – outdoor syilx learning space “Bush Learning” and Habitat enhancement

Project Team: Ellen Simmons, Chad Eneas, Two-buck Pierre, Sarah Williams, Denise Lecoy, Casey Lecoy, Cassidy Lecoy  Project Manager: K’emcnitkw  Communities Served: Okanagan Indian Educational Resources Society (OIERS) En’owkin Center  Location: British Columbia  Program: Green Infrastructure  Project Period: August 2023 – July 2024

Expand the existing rehabilitated area to include additional restoration plantings to support increased indigenous cultural and medicinal plants, fish and wildlife diversity. This also will include enhancing two zones that had poor plant survival rates. Core to this will be guidance by syilx TEK members. Planning phase and construction of an outdoor, green environment “learning space” for students, youth, families and community members. The structure will be designed to embrace a creative syilx style field station and will be used for syilx specific knowledge of the area (i.e. riparian and floodplain, river system). Also, learning about syilx monitoring techniques for syilx weed eradication methods, for plant restoration procedures related to nursery/propagation and syilx protocols for Species at Risk, species counts and field studies of migratory bird patterns, for chinook pond salmon and Kikinee watch. The structure will serve as a prototype for other communities “Bush Learning” infrastructure that is needed.

Sustainable Solar at Unist’ot’en Village

Project Team: Karla Tait, Clinical Director of the Unist’ot’en Healing Center, and Freda Huson (Howhikat), Unist’ot’en Spokesperson and Executive Director of Unist’ot’en Village  Communities Served: Wet’suwet’en Nation, more specifically nation members attending land based programming at Unist’ot’en Healing Centre (owned and operated by Unist’ot’en, a Wet’suwet’en House Group, aka Darkhouse of the Gil’sey’hu clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation.  Location: Darkhouse territory  Program: Green Infrastructure  Project Period: August 2023 – July 2024

Unist’ot’en Village is an Indigenous homestead on our traditional territories. Our camp serves not only to prevent the destruction of our lands by corporations, pipelines, mining and more, but is most critically, a re-occupation of our traditional territories, where our people and supporters gather to protect what is sacred. Our camp is located on unceded traditional Darkhouse territory and the Healing Centre is owned and operated by Darkhouse members with the consent and the direction of the hereditary chiefs. Unist’ot’en Village has maintained its’ presence on our lands for over ten years and has built a Healing Centre, housing for supporters, elders, local Wet’suwet’en Nation members, and those coming to heal on the land (yintah), and has hosted dozens of powerful gatherings of people from all over the world. The Unist’ot’en Healing Centre is fully operational with programming for its people and other First Nations in the Northern Health region. We host participants from Wet’suwet’en and neighboring Indigenous nations. In order to host year round programming and protect the land simultaneously, the Village needs to have its own power source in in order to be able to run everyday equipment requiring power (including phone lines, internet, heating systems, lights, water systems, and more) to ensure the ongoing safety and security of the hosts of the Village and the guests who participate in programming on the territories. After running since 2010, the Village’s limited initial solar panels (that generated only 1% of the power needs due to poor contractor installation) were in need of replacement and the hosts are working with an experienced, reputable local contractor to upgrade the solar system at Unist’ot’en Village. We hope to have our full upgrade complete by the end of the fall, long before the winter months when a much greater amount of power will be required and when installation is not possible due to the snowfall and cold temperatures that freeze the ground for solar mounts and where the TEK cable would need to be safely buried. In addition, over several past winters, the RCMP conducted military-style raids of our territories and so having a secure solar system in place to ensure our communications, power and safety during potential times of raids is critical.

Incorporating Green Energy into Alaska Mariculture

Project Team: Jeff Hetrick, APMI Facility Director and Dano Michaud, APMI Facility Maintenance  Location: Southcentral Alaska Program: Green Infrastructure  Communities Served: Alutiiq, Chugach Regional Resource Commission is an inter-tribal consortium, comprised of seven tribes located throughout the Chugach Region, all of which are located on the coastline.  Project Period: August 2023 – July 2024

The goal of this proposal is focused on incorporating green energy into the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute (APMI) and contributing to tribal energy sovereignty within Alaska’s Mariculture Industry. The Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) runs the APMI, the largest operational seaweed hatchery in Southcentral Alaska and one of only two state-recognized marine research institutes. CRRC is an inter-tribal consortium, comprised of seven tribes located throughout the Chugach Region, all of which are located on the coastline. Alaska’s coastal communities suffer from an overdependence on seasonal economies such as the fishing and tourism industries, leading to high unemployment throughout the winter months and high rates of non-resident workers. Since 2020, CRRC has been growing seeded string for kelp farms and operating kelp research test lines through APMI, located in Seward. APMI was the first licensed kelp hatchery in the South Central region and has the largest physical footprint and the biggest seed string production among the region’s three currently licensed hatcheries. In addition to kelp, APMI has propagated other species popular for mariculture cultivation in Alaska, including oysters and geoduck. A significant barrier to the sustainable growth of mariculture cultivation at APMI is the annual power costs. Power consumption and utilities are APMI’s highest operating costs and contribute significantly to the production cost of seeded string for commercial kelp farmers and research sites.

Generational Preservation: Nurturing Mother Nature

Project Manager: Andrea Blodgett Communities Served: Yakama Nation Location: Yakama, WA  Program: Green Infrastructure  Project Period: August 2023 – July 2024

The Boys and Girls Club of the Yakama Nation currently has an indigenous plant garden. While we are a fairly new organization, established in 2022, the planning and long term vision for our organization has been 20 years in the making. Meaning that in order to encourage our sustainability as an organization, we must plan on the sustainability of our local indigenous plant life, the food we will serve the youth and families and of our mother earth. Generational Preservation: Nurturing Mother Nature project is about food and energy conservation. We have one green house that is going to be set on the property of the Toppenish Community Center, where our organization is housed. Our project is going to need more green houses after this initial first one. These greenhouses will also have their own rain water system for the plants and food we will have inside them. They will also be used to dry food and plants. This was suggested by a Yakama elder, as to keep wildlife from also accessing what we are drying. Last fall, we partnered with the Peacekeeper Society to hold classes on traditional food preservation. A program that was greatly received by our community. We want to have more classes on preserving food from our garden, but also integrate other systems of preservation, such as dehydration and drying. We will be partnering again with the Peacekeeper Society’s Master Food Preservers for this. The Boys and Girls Club of the Yakama Nation is a youth focused organization, and the Yakama Nation Youth Council (our close partner who we house in our building) has established an Ambassador for Mother Earth position in their youth council, with the sole intention of them starting a gardening club. These green houses and water systems would play into their own goals of starting their gardening club and house it locally, while learning more about food sovereignty. Once we have gardened, grown, harvested, and processed/preserved food in these green houses, we would like to celebrate with our youth and families. Part of funding would go into a traditional focused celebration or feast. Even if the harvest is small, we want the community to see a shift in our youth’s consciousness towards our local foods and tribal sovereignty.

Addressing Global Issues with Indigenous Values

Project Manager: Brian King (Executive Director) Communities Served: the Blackfeet community Location: Montana  Program: Green Infrastructure  Project Period: August 2023 – July 2024

Mountains All Around (MAA) is deepening our traditional connection with the sun and wind to create and develop alternative sources of energy that can help address critical community needs in the areas of climate, economy, and sustainability. Indigenous people have traditionally been the most sustainable people on the planet. We have always honored, interacted, and related with all our relatives including the elements. MAA would like to receive an incredible source of good energy from the sun (Naatoosii) and wind to provide for our basic needs in a long-term sustainable manner. Global warming is directly impacting the Blackfeet Nation. Glaciers melting at a historic rate in Glacier National Park to the west has led to reduced stream/lake levels and an ongoing drought. The current climate crisis has contributed to a drought that began in late 2020 and has impacted food and agricultural production locally. Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of wildfires that have led to the burning of thousands of acres. There is an urgent need for alternative energy use to reduce global warming for our community, state, nation, and our world. Mountains All Around (MAA) is a relatively new 100% Native American founded and directed non-profit operating on the Blackfeet Nation. The project goal of MAA is to provide an alternative energy prototype that includes combining solar and wind power for individual homes, and small businesses along with dual land use of solar and agriculture (agrivoltaics) to address sustainable food and energy needs that respect land use and help address climate change. MAA would like to take a focused strategic approach to address these issues at the community level. Our project will install solar panel arrays paired with wind generators to power affordable homes and businesses for an ongoing and sustainable source of clean energy. Additionally, we would like to combine solar panel arrays and agricultural production on a larger scale to provide a local alternative power source to fossil fuel energy. We believe by creating alternative energy systems using solar and wind power for homes and businesses along with planting local produce that great strides toward energy and individual sustainability can be taken. We would like to contribute to a thriving local economy fueled by clean energy where everyone has enough food, shelter, and income to live a balanced and sustainable life.

 

Creating the St. George Unangan Heritage National Marine Sanctuary

Project Manager: George Pletnikoff Communities Served: Unangan Location: Alaska  Program: Green Infrastructure  Project Period: August 2023 – July 2024

St. George, one of Alaska’s Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, is a nationally and globally significant marine environment. The island is home to millions of sea birds, the largest population of Northern Fur Seals, Steller Sea Lions, cetaceans and other significant species. Large-scale commercial fisheries have been depleting fish stocks. Climate change and other threats have altered the ecological balance around the island. Fur seals and bird populations are in precipitous decline. At the same time, St. George’s Unangan aging community faces constant economic hardship. It depends on the marine wildlife for food security and as the foundation of its spiritual and cultural heritage.

In 2016, the City of St. George submitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) a nomination to create what would be Alaska’s first, and the nation’s 16th national marine sanctuary. Despite easily passing scientific reviews by NOAA, the Trump Administration took no action. In August 2021, only months after the Biden Administration took office, Mayor Patrick Pletnikoff, the sanctuary nomination’s greatest champion, passed away. Thanks to support of the Na’ah Illahee Fund, we have been able to sustain the work. The nomination passed a crucial NOAA review process in 2021-2022, with NOAA acknowledging the global significance and wonder of St. George’s marine environment, and the nomination will remain viable until 2027. The Biden Administration presents the best opportunity to advance the nomination to designation. The nomination is aligned with the Administration’s environmental and indigenous rights agenda (see America the Beautiful 30×30). But more work is needed. We are working to persuade NOAA to move forward with designation of the St. George sanctuary. We met last month with the Western Regional Director of National Marine Sanctuaries. Last week we wrote to NOAA’s Administrator. A sanctuary would establish integrated management of St. George’s waters and promote climate resilience. The community continues to struggle to meet basic needs and sustain itself. The sanctuary would generate up to $1.5 million in annual revenues, create jobs, and establish a more equitable relationship between the community and powerful public and private sector stakeholders. The challenge is political. During an April 2023 NOAA roundtable the fishing industry spoke out strongly against the sanctuary. Many support the nomination. Our project would support the continued lobbying work that is needed with the Biden Administration, native communities/organizations throughout Alaska and nationally, and the environmental community.

An Organic matter project

Project Manager: Gatgyeda Haayk, Community Garden champion  Communities Served: Metlakatla Indian Community  Location: Alaska Native Reservation  Program: Green Infrastructure  Project Period: August 2023 – July 2024

We plan to address the Integrated Solid Waste Management Systems: Waste prevention, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recovery and Composting. We would use these funds to complete Phase III of the composting program project in completing the construction of the composting facility, hosting a open house and an annual workshop for the community where we can educate the community on our composting efforts and how they can be involved to reduce our burden on the landfill, recover and reuse the food waste that is being diverted for establishing a local food system. Present to the tribal council after a year of food waste collection from local organizations, stores and community members, present data collected and total amount of food waste and compostable items that have been diverted from the landfill, the benefits of the program, improvements that can be made, name individuals and organizations that have been involved to make the program successful and in closing, present tribal council with a recommendation of a compost ordinance for local businesses and households. By hosting an annual workshop, we can begin planting seeds of change in the minds of the individuals that attend, we can educate community members about the benefits of the composting program and the small steps they can make in their homes to be involved in our program or have their own compost bins/piles. Hosting an open house, we can show the community what we do with the food waste collected from start to finish by showing the community garden and how we use it to grow the food and improve the soil and how it impacts our food system. By educating our community about the benefits of composting and the impact it has on our local landfill but also, how it impacts mother earth and our local food system, we can replenish our land for community members to grow their own food, establish a local food system and food security for our community and share the steps we have taken with other communities in southeast Alaska and throughout the state through the various programs, groups and organizations we are involved in.

2021 Grant Projects

We are eager to share the Green Infrastructure Capacity Building Grant 2021 Recipient Projects. This funding opportunity provides capacity-building grants for projects in AK, OR, ID, MT, WA and British Columbia that promote the healing of the land. We encouraged organizations to apply who address unjust policies that have disproportionately resulted in decades of environmental degradation and negative impacts on Indigenous peoples’ lands.

Eleven groups spanning four states received funding, totaling $270,700. Seventy-three percent of projects will install or increase garden space for food or medicine. Projects also include: farms, educational materials, sharing and preserving traditional hunting, traditional birthing knowledge, and ecological/cultural knowledge. Most of the grant recipients have received two-year grants.

Together we will dream and provide for our shared visions of healthy, revitalized, flourishing communities.

2021 - 2022 Participants & Projects

Kotzebue Electric Techo-Economic Analysis, AK

Communities served: Native Village of Kotzebue  Participant:  Martin Shroyer   Location: AK 
Program: Green Infrastructure  Year: 2021

Kotzebue’s goal is to achieve 50% renewable energy generation using wind power by 2025 by creating an assessment of the need and value of additional clean power generation and a community battery energy storage system. This will result in the elimination of the need for over 500,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually. Goal is to keep rural Alaska energy costs at reasonable levels by using wind energy.

Yakutat Tlingit Capacity Development for Compost Facility, AK

Community served: Yakutat Tlingit Tribe  Participant:  Jennifer Hanlon   Location: AK 
Program: Green Infrastructure  Year: 2021

Yakutat Tlingit Tribe is developing infrastructure to house a full community compost facility that will divert compostable waste from their landfill that causes harmful gas emissions. They will train and raise community awareness and waste management. 12% of the population volunteered to participate in household waste stream assessment and generated 2,200 lb. of food waste in one week. This and more will be diverted from landfills.

Metlakatla Composting Program, AK

Community served: Metlakatla Indian Community  Participant:  Tia Atkinson   Location: AK 
Program: Green Infrastructure  Year: 2021

The program plans to expand the existing composting program to collect from local businesses, schools and community members to lessen the impact on the landfill. The community will become self-sufficient in not having to buy compost and pay to ship there. The program will provide soil and garden amendments for the community to improve self-sufficiency and reduce the community’s carbon footprint. Data collection will track amount of refuse that is being diverted from the landfill and volume of compost created.

Native Kelp Alliance to Restore Ocean Habitats for SE Alaska, AK

Communities served: Native Village of Eyak, Tatitlek IRA Council, Native Village of Chenaga, Port Graham Village Council, Nanwalek IRA Council, Valdez Native Tribe, Qutekcak Native Tribe   Participant:  Evelyn Arce-Erikson   Location: AK 
Program: Green Infrastructure  Year: 2021

36 Tribes in Prince William Sound expressed desire to restore coastal habitats eroded by climate change and the Exxon Valdez oil spill thirty-two years ago that nearly extinguished the herring and salmon industry. The ocean restoration endeavor is an act of survival. AK Native communities on the frontlines of climate change are facing significant losses. Kelp is a mainstay of identity and culinary subsistence. Will create a new regenerative economy of kelp farming: training, support, education, create a kelp nursery to cultivate wild seeds, stipends for Elders for cultural teachings.

Preservation of St. George Unangan Marine & Cultural Heritage, AK

Community served: Unangan   Participant:  George Pletnikiff   Location: AK 
Program: Green Infrastructure  Year: 2021

A small Unangan community under constant economic pressure that relies on the marine wildlife population for food security. Preservation of St. George project will be pressing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin. (NOAA) to create the nation’s 16th national marine sanctuary to protect the marine environment. Sanctuary would provide integrated management of the waters and much needed climate resilience. Would be the first Alaska State national marine sanctuary.

Preservation of the Nimiipuu Traditional Root Qem’es, ID

Community served: Nez Perce Tribe (Nimiipuu)   Participant:  Brenda Axtell   Location: ID 
Program: Green Infrastructure  Year: 2021

This 30-year project on the Nez Perce reservation has been preserving the traditional root qem’es (camas) and baking it over 12 yrs. Funds will go to build a woodshed, repairing a well pump, installation of solar power to bake camp for the mother earth oven. Teemekinpe (baking in an underground oven) is an endangered art for the life of the Nimiipuu and will teach the youth.

Center Pole’s Sustainable Indigenous Design Model, MT

Community served: Crow Tribe (Apsaalooke)   Participant:  Peggy Wellknown Buffalo   Location: MT 
Program: Green Infrastructure  Year: 2021

Project is the redesign of Center Pole organizations “campus” to be an energy sustainable and healthy foods center. Will incorporate green building approaches by: restoring the land and its ecosystem, installing solar and wind systems to reduce energy footprint. Install composting toilets (clivus Multrum) and their infrastructure. Serving 20,00 community members along the riparian edge of the Little Bighorn River.

Lhaq’temish Foundation, WA

Community served: Lummi Nation   Participant:  Lummi Skekwel   Location: WA 
Program: Green Infrastructure  Year: 2021

Lhaq’temish Foundation supports the Northwest Indian College’s new pre-engineering program focusing on renewable energy and energy sovereignty. Aims to educate indigenous students through hands-on learning to learn basics of solar photovoltaic systems and electrical engineering. A 15kW solar photovoltaic array will be procured and installed on the roof of the campus library. Training of students and community members in installation, maintenance, troubleshooting of both wind and solar energy systems will support Lummi Nation in development of a microgrid system aimed at Tribal energy sovereignty.

i? skʷal̓t Salish School of Spokane Solar Power Project, WA

Communities served: Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Spokane Tribe of Indians, Kalispel Tribe of Indians, Coeur d’Alene Tribe   Participant:  LaRae Wiley   Location: WA 
Program: Green Infrastructure  Year: 2021

Comprehensive plan is to decolonize wealth and bring land back to our Indigenous communities. In 2020 bought their one-half block campus (where they rented for 10 years). Currently renovating the buildings and transitioning to sustainable energy. Focusing on shared spaces that benefit Indigenous people to build the collective wealth and health of their Native Community. Funds will purchase and install a solar array for Building C on SSOS campus.

River Walkers Program & Habitat Enhancement, WA

Community served: Urban Tribal community  Participant:  Rachel Norman   Location: WA
Program: Green Infrastructure  Year: 2021

Establish a community group called River Walkers that will serve Tribal priorities by performing habitat enhancement and stewardship activities to enhance the environment. Hard sustainable projects: community garden, rain garden, moon garden, pollinator hotels, integrated raised beds, composting, shellfish bed installation and Native plant give-aways: collect/harvest/propagate/distributed.

Tribal Water Security, WA & AK

Community served: Akiak Native Community Participant:  Demarus Tevuk & Ashley Mocorro Powell   Location: WA & AK
Program: Green Infrastructure  Year: 2021

The goal is to build a water security infrastructure for Tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska regions. Develop solutions to water accessibility, quality and quantity challenges, and inform their decision-making process in mitigating these water-related concerns. Goal to design & monitor the viability of rooftop water harvesting systems that can be used by geographically diverse Indigenous communities to supplement their water supplies. Examine near-term impacts of ongoing environmental and climate justice intersections, such as mining, related to water security. Additionally, support the development of culturally grounded educational materials, including a monthly webinar series, and Tribal youth events to introduce career pathways that merge Tribal sovereignty and STE(A)M.