This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) received a $36 million grant to fund economic growth and strengthen Indigenous sovereignty on the Wind River Reservation. It was one of six organizations in the nation to receive the federal funding through the Economic Development Administration’s Recompete Pilot Program, which is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in American agenda.
The aim of the Recompete program is to close employment gaps through adaptive, locally-driven investments, which will be rolled out over a five-year timeline. The program specifically focuses on communities across the country where employment rates for 25 to 54 year olds is significantly behind the national average.
WRDF was the lead applicant for the funding, along with four co-applicants: the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative, the Wind River Food Sovereignty Project and Central Wyoming College. The Wind River application was chosen from 565 application submissions from urban, rural and tribal communities across the country.
The money will go to a variety of different projects, including a Tribal Buffalo Center, the in-the-works Eastern Shoshone Cultural Center and Museum and a new office, museum and storage facility for Shoshone and Arapaho Fish and Game. It’ll also support a new Native-focused workforce program, expanded healthcare service and more access to Indigenous-based foods.
WRDF’s application for the grant, titled “Creating a Sustainable, Indigenous-Based Economy in Wind River,” describes some of the challenges facing the communities of the Wind River Reservation, including systemic poverty across generations, barriers to land sovereignty, and issues of access to food and Indigenous-based foods specifically. It also points to the disparity in economic growth between the reservation and the neighboring off-reservation towns of Lander and Riverton.
The application then outlines its Indigenous Sovereignty Framework, a holistic model for economic and community development that intertwines culture, land and water with food, health, finance and tribal governance systems, all guided with a recognition of the value of generations that have passed as well as generations to come.
“Almost a year ago, community members from across the region began thinking about how to create new economic opportunities that benefited everyone and that were uniquely designed to address the persistent economic distress on the Reservation,” said WRDF Executive Director Paul Huberty (Anishinaabe) in a press release posted by the Wyoming Business Council. “In our application, we told a story about the longstanding economic and systemic barriers facing Indian Country, and we proposed unique solutions that will strengthen Native sovereignty while rebuilding equitable economies based on our cultural values.”
According to Huberty, over thirty organizations participated in planning sessions and helped with the grant application.
“This award reflects an entire community coming together,” he said.
