Funding is available for public and private K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and local units of government to defray the costs of projects promoting positive relationships and accurate information about Indian tribes and Native Americans in Michigan.
The Native American Heritage Fund (NAHF) was approved in 2016 as part of the Second Amendment to the Tribal-State Gaming Compact between the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Pottawatomi (NHBP) and the state of Michigan. The Tribe allocates a portion of its annual state revenue-sharing payments to the fund. Since its inception, the NAHF has funded the removal of offensive imagery and language from 12 schools and two municipalities, and cultivated several opportunities for education, reconciliation, and unification. The NAHF is entering its sixth year of the program and is projected to reach over $2.5 million in distributions.
Projects eligible for funding may include events, art projects, and language classes that encourage inclusivity between Native Americans and Michiganders, as well as changing or revising curricula, improving program development, replacing or revising government seals or images in public spaces, and replacing or revising mascots or imagery that might be considered offensive to Native Americans.
Applications are now available at https://nahfund.com/application/ and are due by Friday, June 16, at 5 p.m.
