Seven projects have received grant funding from the Native American Heritage Fund (NAHF) Board this week. Under the Second Amendment to the Tribal-State Gaming Compact, a portion of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Pottawatomi’s (an MLC client) state revenue sharing payments are allocated to the NAHF. Grant funds are available to Michigan’s K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and local units of government to defray the costs of projects that promote positive relationships and accurate information about the history and role of Michigan’s Indian tribes and Native Americans in the state.

The 2019 NAHF grants include:

1. 1. Bay de Noc Community College – $6,000 to publicly acknowledge the Treaty of 1836 through a public plaque on each campus and a Treaty Day celebration
   2. Godfrey-Lee Public Schools – $98,000 to rebrand the current mascot from “Rebels” to a new mascot and nickname that is culturally responsive
   3. Grand Rapids Community College – $5,285 to support the Grand Rapids Community College Education and Reconciliation Project including a trip to the Ziibawing Center of Anishinaabe Culture and Lifeways and a Native American Speaker’s Forum
   4. Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University College of Law – $20,000 to provide a two-day symposium, Native Family Day, and ancillary programming throughout the year
   5. Monroe County Community College – $199,234 to create curriculum and a set of immersion experiences for K-12 students, focused on how to research stories from the Native perspective
   6. Northern Michigan University (an MLC client) – $134,612.80 to expand Anishinabek language course offerings at undergraduate and graduate levels
   7. The Friendship Community/LIFT Teen Center – $16,650 to support an overnight backpacking trip to South Minitou Island, exposing students to the history of the Ottawa tribe

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.