First Nations Development Institute Awards $375,000 to 10 Native Food Projects

LONGMONT, Colo., March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) today announced it has awarded a new round of grants totaling $375,000 to 10 Native American organizations. The grants, made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, were awarded under First Nations' Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative (NAFSI). 

All of the projects aim to enhance Native control of local food systems – especially in addressing issues such as food insecurity, food deserts, and health and nutrition – while bolstering much-needed economic development in those communities.

The award amounts were $37,500 each.  The grantees and projects are:

• Big Pine Paiute Tribe of Owens Valley, Big Pine, California – Sustainable Food System Development Project.
• Hunkpati Investments, Inc., Fort Thompson, South Dakota – Crow Creek Fresh Food Initiative.
• Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College, Hayward, Wisconsin – Increasing Food Security through Infrastructure, Research and Animal Husbandry Feasibility Assessments.
• Northwest Indian College, Bellingham, Washington – Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project.
• The Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, Oneida, Wisconsin – Oneida Youth Food System Entrepreneur Project.
• Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, Ponca City, Oklahoma – Egg Production for Us, by Us.
• Pueblo of Nambe, Nambe Pueblo, New Mexico – Nambe Pueblo Community Farm.
• San Carlos Apache Tribe, San Carlos, Arizona – Traditional Western Apache Diet Project.
• Taos County Economic Development Corporation, Taos, New Mexico – Native Food Sovereignty Alliance. 
• Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders' Association Inc., Kamuela, Hawaii – Farming for the Working Class.

More detailed information about the individual projects can be found here.

About First Nations Development Institute
For more than 30 years, using a three-pronged strategy of educating grassroots practitioners, advocating for systemic change, and capitalizing Indian communities, First Nations has been working to restore Native American control and culturally-compatible stewardship of the assets they own – be they land, human potential, cultural heritage or natural resources – and to establish new assets for ensuring the long-term vitality of Native American communities.  First Nations serves Native American communities throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.firstnations.org.

CONTACT:
Randy Blauvelt, First Nations Senior Communications Officer
(303) 774-7836
[email protected]

SOURCE First Nations Development Institute