Minnesota Tribal Colleges Receive Grants From USDA

Two Minnesota tribal colleges will receive grants from the USDA for improvements to campus facilities and equipment. The USDA made the announcement at the 8th Tribal Nations Conference on Monday.

Leech Lake Tribal College and White Earth Tribal Community College were two of the twenty colleges that received $2.9 million overall. Both will receive a $143,000 grant through the USDA’s Tribal College Initiative Grant program. Leech Lake Tribal College will be using the grant to make unspecified campus improvements and White Earth Tribal Community College will use the grant for building renovations.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also announced $3.8M in grants for 28 additional projects and $2.3M in grants for 13 tribal organizations in 15 states.

President Obama hosted the the conference alongside the agriculture secretary at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington. Leaders from 567 federally recognized tribes meet with government officials and other members of the White House. The administration also announced an additional $9M in federal funds to further community development and education.

U.S. government partners also signed a memorandum of understanding as an affirmation to protect tribal treaty and similar rights relating to natural resources through enhanced interagency coordination and collaboration.

The USDA Forest Services announced at the event that trees, portions of trees or forest products from National Forest System lands can be harvested, free of charge, to federally recognized Indian tribes for traditional and cultural purposes.