By Caleb Hutton
The Department of Justice announced $101 million in grants to tribes around the country Thursday, Sept. 27.
Exactly $998,562 of that money goes to the Lummi Tribe for its Transitional Housing Project. The Nooksack Tribe also got $465,763 for its Tribal Youth Program. I’ve been running around all day doing other things, so look for a full story online sometime tomorrow.
For now, here’s the overview from the DOJ:
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today announced more than 200 grants to more than 110 American Indian and Alaska Native nations. The grants will provide more than $101 million to enhance law enforcement practices, and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts in 10 purpose areas including public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; violence against women; elder abuse; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs.
“Over the last several years, we’ve consulted with tribes and participated in listening sessions that provided a clear message of a need for coordination and flexibility to access our grant resources,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West. “Our outreach and communication with tribal governments have been critical to our understanding of how to better serve and support our tribal partners. These awards represent our ongoing commitment to help put an end to the unacceptable and sobering crime rates witnessed in Indian Country.”
The awards are made through the department’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a single application for tribal-specific grant programs. The department developed CTAS through its Office of Community Oriented Policing, Office of Justice Programs and Office on Violence against Women, and administered the first round of consolidated grants in September 2010. It awarded 286 grants totaling $245 million in 2011 and 2012. Information about the consolidated solicitation is available atwww.justice.gov/tribal/. A fact sheet on CTAS is available at www.justice.gov/tribal/ctas2012/ctas-factsheet.pdf.
Next month, the Justice Department will hold its annual consultation on violence against native women on Oct. 2, 2012, in Tulsa, Okla. In addition, an Interdepartmental Tribal Justice, Safety and Wellness Session will be held in Tulsa, on Oct. 3-4, 2012. It will provide a Listening Session on the Tribal Law and Order Act Tribal Justice Plan Implementation Strategy and include valuable training and technical assistance.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
# # #
I could be wrong but the Lummi Tribe pays no taxes for their casino earnings,We the taxpayers pay for walkways,solar powered lights for the walkway,road maintenance& and improvements,housing improvements and on and on.Why can’t they be paying for this stuff?I really believe taxpayers has a whole are overburdened with rate hikes for parks we had no business buying,water hikes, storm water hikes and on and on.Granted these kind of programs are needed but it’s time for the tribes to pay there share.
Hopefully its big enough to house all the drug addicts LUMMI has. Waste of money.
A drug rehab center is a great use of federal dollars. It is a step in the right direction for the tribe.
We aren’t ever going to be finished repaying the tribes for displacing them. It just isn’t going to happen because the displacement is never ending. Right now, we have greedy corporations and union labor unions pushing to literally destroy the rural nature of the part of the county where the Lummi reservation is now and foul the water with coal dust at the same time.
It just doesn’t make sense.
There is no edit on this site, so I am clarifying my above comment. The coal terminal doesn’t make sense, the drug rehab center is a good thing.