Tribal communities can apply for a special funding opportunity through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The funding is part of a partnership with the Department of the Interior (DOI), its Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative (FIBSI) and its “Road to Healing Tour.” The $30,000 grants will go to tribal and community proposals that address any humanities-related project. Jason Packineau (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Pueblo of Jemez, Pueblo of Laguna), a Strategic Advisor for Native & Indigenous Affairs for the NEH, spoke to Mvskoke Media’s Live Wire about the grants and the application process on Monday, Aug. 14.
The chair’s grant was specifically requested by NEH Chair Shelly Lowe (Navajo). Packineau explained that during her tenure at the NEH, Lowe has had the opportunity to speak to boarding school survivors and their descendants. She has also attended several “Road to Healing Tour” stops with DOI Secretary Deb Haaland. Packineau said, “Because of that, she really felt there was a direct opportunity to fund tribal communities and that would be in support of the FBSI.”
Scope of Grants
The grants were created for communities to address any humanities topic related to the FBSI. Packineau related that the scope is very broad in nature.
“So, it could be simple oral history projects, language projects, it could go towards museums and exhibition work that benefits descendants and survivors. It’s broad enough that it could go towards working with individuals or tribes on planning or beginning repatriations. So, how do we bring our people back that still might be at boarding school sites? It’s very wide and expansive.” Packineau said.
Examples of projects that proposals can focus on range from addressing access to and/or conducting research of boarding school records, community conversations and public programming. These programs entail public engagement with humanities-based activities related to the impacts of boarding schools, language revitalization programming, tribal history projects, oral histories and traditional knowledge sharing.
There are several requirements to be eligible for the grants. Applications will be accepted from federally-recognized Native American tribal governments, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations working with tribal communities, or state or local government entities working with tribal communities. Applications will also be accepted if a state, or a neighboring state has hosted an event as part of the “The Road to Healing” tour or the submitted project serves a community that has been impacted by federal Indian boarding schools.
Applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent to Packineau before Nov. 1, applications will be received by the NEH on a rolling basis until Dec. 1. While projects need to have a start date between January through March of 2024, grants can be awarded to projects already in process that need funding to complete.
More information about the grants can be found on their website. For further questions, contact Packineau at: jpackineau@neh.gov.
