This Project Grant award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (CFDA 66.616) provides $3,000,000 in funding to the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, Inc. (ITCMI) to enable the meaningful engagement of Michigan's federally recognized tribal governments and enrolled members/citizens in the social, cultural, and bio-physical protection and restoration of manoomin/mnomen, or wild rice.
The key activities under this award include: 1) Enabling participation from tribal governments, elders, and traditional ricers to implement the project; 2) Supporting the Michigan Wild Rice Initiative (MWRI) and its sub-committees in executing the stewardship plan; and 3) Providing technical support for this initiative through strategy, design, and content generation. Sub-awards will be provided to tribal governments to support their unique needs in participating in the MWRI and achieving the goals of the stewardship plan. Other anticipated deliverables include travel support, stipends, contractor hiring, gift cards, project implementation, and development of outreach/educational materials. The intended outcomes include increased tribal capacity, restoration of manoomin/mnomen, strengthened tribal-government partnerships, and greater community involvement and awareness around this critical natural and cultural resource.
Generated 3/4/25, 3:59 AM