HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-11-23 Correspondence - US Dept of Agriculture - USDA Awards Grant to Montana Tribes to Help Strengthen Food SovereigntyFrom:USDA Rural Development MontanaTo:AgendaSubject:[EXTERNAL]USDA Awards Grant to Montana Tribes to Help Strengthen Food SovereigntyDate:Thursday, December 7, 2023 1:14:10 PM
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USDA Rural Development - Together, America Prospers
News Release
Contact: mark.mccann@usda.gov
USDA Awards Grant to Montana Tribes to Help Strengthen FoodSovereignty
Bozeman, Mont., Dec. 7, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural
Development in Montana State Director Kathleen Williams announced today that the
Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana became one
of the first nationwide to receive a $191,000 grant through the Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS) Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program.
This grant program is designed to support the priorities of Tribal Nations in reducing
nutrition insecurity, as well as expanding and enhancing indigenous animal and meat
processing capacity on Tribal lands.
“I am so pleased that USDA can continue to help expand native/Native capacity for
economic development, in this case supporting meat processing facilities in the Fort Peck
Tribal community. This project will advance Tribal food sovereignty and help increase the
availability of affordable, healthy protein sources that were a staple of Tribal food systems
for generations as well as support producers across the region,” Williams said. “USDA is
proud to support programs like this that advance Tribal and Indigenous interests, as well
as adjacent communities.”
As one of four Tribal nations in the US to receive this grant, the Assiniboine and Sioux
Tribes will use funds to purchase a composter and walk-in freezer for the new Fort Peck
meat processing facility, where they process bison, elk, deer, antelope, and pheasant.
This project will give people on the Reservation a local Tribal-owned business for their
meat processing and storage needs. The upgraded facility will also give the Fort Peck
Tribes’ Fish and Game Department a local place to take bison to be processed and
distributed to families in need.
Other Tribal Nations receiving grant funding through this program include the Alutiiq Tribe
of Old Harbor in Alaska, the Tribal Government of St. Paul Island in Alaska, and the
Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation in southern Oregon and northern California.
Designed to support priorities voiced by Tribal Nations during consultations held over two
years, this grant program seeks to expand processing opportunities using modern and
traditional harvesting methods for animals native to North America such as bison,
reindeer, and salmon.
The program reflects a commitment to work in partnership with Tribal Nations to advance
prosperity and dignity for all Native peoples and support building a fairer, more
competitive, and more resilient food system by supporting local farms and businesses.
To learn more about investment resources for rural and Tribal areas, visit
www.rd.usda.gov or contact the nearest USDA Rural Development state office.
Rural Development provides loans, grants, and loan guarantees to help expand economic
opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural
and Tribal areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements, business
development, housing, community facilities and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal,
and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit GovDelivery subscriber page.
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USDA Rural Development has six offices in Montana – Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls,
Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula. To learn more about investment resources for rural areas
in Montana, call (406) 585-2587 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/mt.
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