Tribes in Washington have received more than $94 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, with the bulk of the money going to five tribes.

The five tribes have received $51 million in stimulus grants. The Puyallup Tribe received the most ($13.1 million), followed by the Nisqually Tribe ($12.3 million).

The Yakama Nation, the Tulalip Tribes and the Lummi Nation rounded out the top five. According to The Tacoma News-Tribune, the tribes are the most financially successful in the state.

“A lot of small tribes have trouble accessing these resources because of a lack of staff or a lack of comfort level in how to pursue them,” Ron Allen, the chairman of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, told the paper “Bigger tribes with more horsepower come into it with staff knowing what to do to compete.

The stimulus law provided $3 billion for Indian Country programs.

Get the Story:
Rich tribes become richer with grants (The Tacoma News-Tribune 12/13)

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
H.R.1 | S.1