–
Please join the Eastern Regional BIA Office alongside the National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) for an informational meeting regarding funding from the Consolidated Appropriations Act (2021). The Act included a $1 Billion program directed to Tribal Governments, among other eligible entities, to deploy broadband on tribal lands, as well as for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion.
–
The Office of Indian Education will be hosting two Pre-Application Webinars for the American Rescue Plan-- American Indian Resilience in Education (ARP-AIRE) Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for fiscal year (FY) 2021. These webinars are for organizations that are interested in applying for grant funding under the ARP-AIRE program.
The first webinar will take place on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. This webinar is intended to provide potential applicants with background on the ARP-AIRE Grant Program as well as an overview of the grant competition. During the webinar OIE will review the following topics: Background of the ARP-AIRE Grant & Overview of the Grant Competition, Application/Program Requirements & Eligibility, Absolute Priority, Competitive Preference Priority, Statutory Hiring Preference, Application Instructions, Federal Grant Application Systems; and a Review of Resources & Upcoming Webinar.
The second webinar will take place on Thursday, August 5, 2021. This webinar will highlight the relationship between the Absolute Priority, Selection Criteria, and Application. The intent is to highlight the connection between key components when building a project narrative. A brief overview of the first webinar will also be included.
If you are interested in attending one or both of these sessions, you will need register at the links below prior to the sessions. Once you have submitted your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the meeting.
Registration Link for July 28: https://seiservices.zoom.us/j/94499861571
Registration Link for August 5: https://seiservices.zoom.us/j/98589496805
Applications Available: July 13, 2021
Application Submission Deadline: September 13, 2021
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: October 12, 2021
IMPORTANT LINKS
APPLICATION PACKAGE: https://www.grants.gov
Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf
OIE WEBSITE: https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-indian-education/
–
Native people define spirituality as central to their culture and traditions. Spirituality, culture, and healing ceremonies not only reinforce the core beliefs of tribal life but also restore personal balance when life stressors threaten to overwhelm. The COVID-19 pandemic added enormous anxiety and fear into many tribal communities. Tribal health care providers needed to assume expanded and urgent responsibilities, and physical isolation of tribal community members meant that they were cut off from their traditional gatherings, dances, and ceremonies. Many tribal families lost relatives and friends to COVID-19, or other tragedies, which brought new levels of grief to our communities.
We are now beginning to see light at the end of the pandemic tunnel and many Native people are taking stock of the past 15 months of physical separation and emotional strain. This discussion with Native spiritual and cultural leaders provides an opportunity to applaud the bravery of our health care providers and community members, and to discuss how Native spirituality can support our ability to regain our health and balance. For many, Native spirituality can be a potential antidote that minimizes the consequences of anxiety, fear, depression, and other stresses caused during the coronavirus crisis.
Please join this lunch-time conversation, which will offer comfort and a safe space to talk about Native spiritual beliefs, resilience, and the ability to cope. Participants will appreciate the reassuring messages and Native videos which illustrate the strengths and resilience of tribal people. This session will focus on the perspective of local tribal leaders. The conversation will be facilitated by Holly Echo-Hawk (Pawnee), a member of the New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center team.
Last week, EDA announced $3B in funding opportunities to invest in distressed and underserved communities impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. One example is the Indigenous Communities Program, where EDA will deploy $100 million by working hand-in-hand with Tribal Governments and Indigenous communities to develop and execute economic development projects needed to recover from the pandemic and build economies for the future. Information along with the Notice of Funding Opportunity for each program is available on EDA’s ARPA information page at: https://eda.gov/arpa/.
EDA will provide a broad overview of all these programs on July 29 at 1:00 PM MDT. Register for the national webinar.