Coushatta Tribe Of Louisiana

Coushatta Tribe Of Louisiana, doing business as Coushata Alliance, is a federally recognized tribal government located in Elton, Louisiana that receives federal grants as a prime recipient across transportation infrastructure, child care, environmental management, and community development programs rather than competing for federal contracts. The tribe operates with approximately 865 enrolled members and has built a substantial federal grant portfolio anchored in tribal capacity building, economic development, and service delivery on tribal lands.

The tribe's federal footprint is dominated by grant work across 34 distinct customer agencies, with the Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education leading at 65 awards, followed by the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (38 awards combined across two line items), the Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (17 awards), and the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6. Of the 237 total awards in the source data spanning from 1991 to February 2026, 235 are prime grants and two are grant sub-awards, positioning the tribe as a primary federal grant recipient rather than a contractor or subcontractor.

Transportation infrastructure represents the largest concentration of awards. The tribe has received recurring formula and project grants from the Federal Highway Administration under the Tribal Transportation Program (CFDA 20.205), including a $1,719,560 highway planning and construction award in June 2024, $3,458,050 and $1,103,510 in FY24 tribal transportation funding in June 2024, $874,000 for bridge improvements in November 2023, and multiple smaller allocations for road construction and repair within tribal lands. The tribe also secured a $14.27 million competitive National Infrastructure Investments grant in September 2025 for the CC Bel Road Extension Project under CFDA 20.933, with completion through June 2028.

Federal broadband and infrastructure development is a second major program area. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration awarded the tribe a Phase 2 project grant in February 2025 under the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program to construct fiber-to-premises (FTTP) infrastructure bringing 137 users online across 124 households, 11 community anchor institutions, and two businesses on tribal lands. A prior NTIA Phase 1 feasibility study grant ran through May 2024. The tribe also holds a Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund formula grant from the Treasury Department awarded in November 2022 for broadband infrastructure eligible for funding.

Child care and social services grants from the Office of Child Care constitute the third major concentration. The tribe receives recurring block grants and formula grants under the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF, formula) and Child Care Development Block Grant Discretionary (CCDD) programs, with awards in October 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021, running through September 2026–2028. The tribe also holds Child Welfare Social Services (CWSS) formula grants from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families awarded in October 2024 and 2023.

Environmental and resilience programming includes a $565,000 Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) cooperative agreement from EPA Region 6 in September 2024 to construct a recycling facility and purchase equipment such as hoppers and a baler. The tribe holds a $270,000 Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (CFDA 66.926) project grant from EPA Region 6 awarded October 2024 for environmental capacity building, solid waste management, and community outreach. A $195,000 Non-State Member Support for the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan grant from EPA Region 6 in June 2024 funds stormwater wetland planning and environmental assessments through May 2029. The tribe also received a $470,000 Tribal Climate Resilience block grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in July 2024 for vulnerability assessments and climate adaptation planning through September 2027.

Justice and public safety grants include a $1,000,000 Treatment Court Discretionary Grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.585) awarded October 2024 to enhance the Coushatta Tribal Healing to Wellness Court for substance use disorder treatment and recovery services through September 2028. The tribe also holds a $341,374 Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program award from FEMA in September 2024 for emergency preparedness and resilience through August 2027.

Energy and tribal enterprise development work includes a $150,000 Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in July 2024 to assess the feasibility of an islanded microgrid utility system for the Coushatta Casino and Resort enterprise campus, with a focus on combined heat and power and renewable integration through July 2026. The tribe completed a hydrogen production feasibility study grant from the Department of the Interior in May 2023 and holds ongoing energy resilience funding from the Department of Energy under a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law formula grant awarded June 2023 for electric grid resilience improvements.

Cultural preservation and heritage programs include recurring Historic Preservation Fund grants (CFDA 15.904) from the National Park Service to support Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) activities, with awards in October 2024, 2023, and 2022. The tribe received a $100,000-plus National Endowment for the Humanities grant in October 2021 for "Koasati II-Yomahkakitton, Im-Istilka: The Coushatta Experience," an immersive walking, driving, and trail ecotourism project narrated in the Koasati language. The tribe also holds an Administration for Native Americans grant for "Koasati Naathiihilkas (Let Us Speak Koasati)" language preservation awarded September 2021.

Economic development and planning grants support feasibility studies and business planning. The tribe received a $75,000 Native American Business Development Institute (NABDI) grant in September 2022 to assess redevelopment options for the Coushatta Ranch, a 40-acre property in Sulphur, Louisiana damaged by hurricanes Laura and Ida. The tribe also holds a State Small Business Credit Initiative Technical Assistance Grant from the Department of Commerce awarded July 2024 to provide technical assistance to small businesses applying for federal support programs.

Agricultural and food access programs include a $150,000-plus Tribal Food Purchase Assistance cooperative agreement from the Agricultural Marketing Service awarded March 2024 for direct procurement from socially disadvantaged farmers, with a focus on crawfish sourcing for tribal food assistance. The tribe received a follow-on Local Food Purchase Assistance award in January 2025 under USDA for similar community food distribution work.

Health and wellness programs include a long-running Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) cooperative agreement from the Indian Health Service awarded January 2023, supporting the Coushatta Health Department's diabetes education, clinical services, and community prevention activities through December 2027. The tribe also received disaster reimbursement grants from FEMA for COVID-19 emergency protective measures, with awards in October 2021 and August 2021.

Activity has grown substantially over the past five years—from eight awards in 2022 to twenty-one in 2024—with a recent slowdown to ten awards in 2025 and two in the first two months of 2026. Eighteen awards face ultimate completion in the next twenty-four months, representing the tribe's recompete and renewal exposure across transportation, child care, environmental, and justice programs. The tribe operates one minor grant sub-award relationship, receiving funds as a sub-recipient from the Institute for Indian Development under the Community Services Block Grant and from a Massachusetts Institute of Technology local resilience project.