Like the rest of Indian Country, I was excited when I saw the trailer for Rutherford Falls.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) granted a total of $31.2 billion to Indian Country, including the agencies that serve Tribal nations. The bill was signed on March 11, 2021 and directed the U.S. Treasury to distribute $20 billion directly to Tribal governments through the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund.
Wow! Broadband is a “thing.” I know, I know, it has been for a while now, but the fact that it still is a thing a year later is remarkable. It may sound silly, but it used to be that broadband was such an esoteric topic only discussed in the realm of computer science and IT. Now, broadband is in the top three topics that are important to Tribal communities, Tribal leaders, and pretty much everyone else. After the pandemic and the lockdown, everything has changed. And as someone who specializes in broadband research, it’s still surprising. But then, the world has changed.
The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) is a temporary program offered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide affordable access to internet service. The program works with participating internet providers to offer a monthly discount of up to $50 for a single internet connection to qualifying households. This discount may be up to $75 per month for a qualifying household on Tribal lands.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) granted a total of $31.2 Billion to Indian Country, including the agencies that serve Tribal nations.
Earlier this year, the AIPI was a partner with the Virginia G. Piper Center For Creative Writing under their prestigious award from the National Institute of the Arts Grant The Big Read. The goal of this program is to expose communities to diverse books and perspectives they may never have otherwise discovered.
You may have heard that AIPI is creating an Indigenous Leadership Academy.
President Biden announced the American Jobs Plan (AJP) on March 31, 2021 to address the longstanding needs facing the U.S. in the areas of infrastructure, jobs, and the economy. These needs existed before the pandemic, but their negative impact was felt much more in the last year. The great and immediate need to solve these issues also presents a unique opportunity to usher society into the future.
On April 15 2021, Governor Doug Ducey signed HB2772 into law. The bill, which establishes sports betting, fantasy sports wagering, and other forms of electronic gaming in Arizona, received broad Tribal support. HB2772 also establishes the 2021 Compact Trust Fund -- available to federally-recognized Tribes that are included in the 2021 Gaming Compact Amendment -- to mitigate impacts to Indian Tribes from gaming, and to provide economic benefits to Arizona’s Tribal Nations.
The American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI) is proud to announce the creation of the Indigenous Leadership Academy (ILA) under the leadership of Traci Morris, Ph.D. (Chickasaw Nation). This new initiative is in partnership with the ASU Office of Government & Community Engagement, and with seed funding from Arizona Public Service (APS).