The Native American Heritage Fund (NAHF) will host their annual check distribution event next Friday, August 25, at FireKeepers Casino Hotel Ballroom in Battle Creek. The fund assists K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and local units of government with the costs of projects that promote positive relationships and accurate information about the history and role of Michigan’s Indian Tribes and Native Americans in Michigan.
Grant Recipients:
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- Baraga Area Schools– $6,000 to integrate Ojibwe language and culture in the school environment by creating Cultural Liaison on staff; implementing signage, hosting Pow Wow’s and other cultural activities.
- Chippewa Hills School District– $66,446 to rebrand signage, floors, athletic facilities, and apparel with new “Golden Knights” mascot imagery.
- Manistee Area Public Schools– $142,585 to rebrand signage, website, athletic facilities, and athletic uniforms with new “Mariners” mascot imagery.
- Meridian Charter Township– $15,000 to replace hateful imagery by installing a new sign at the entrance to Sower Blvd off Okemos Rd.
- Pellston Public Schools– $6,000 to create, administer and use a new bilingual website designed and built by students to allow them to interact and grow with Native and non-Native community members.
- Petoskey Schools– $2,925 to purchase new track uniforms with rebranded school mascot that replaced the previous Native American mascot.
- Port Huron Area School District– $162,943.90 to replace and rebrand the current mascot at Michigamme and Roosevelt Elementary Schools and High School.
- Sandusky Community Schools– $74,604.08 to rebrand athletic equipment, signage, and athletic uniforms with new “Wolves” mascot imagery.
- Watersmeet Township School District– $3,845 to implement a mini teaching Pow Wow event using best practices around Indigenous knowledge to promote positive relationships between the school district, Tribe, and local government.
The NAHF:
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- Established in 2016 as part of the Second Amendment to the Tribal-State Gaming Compact between the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi and the State of Michigan.
- A portion of the Tribe’s annual state revenue sharing payment is deposited into the NAHF.
