{"id":9466,"date":"2021-03-26T13:15:26","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T17:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=9466"},"modified":"2021-03-26T13:15:26","modified_gmt":"2021-03-26T17:15:26","slug":"gaylord-news-indian-country-sees-large-influx-of-funds-from-covid-19-rescue-package","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/03\/26\/gaylord-news-indian-country-sees-large-influx-of-funds-from-covid-19-rescue-package\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaylord News: Indian Country sees large influx of funds from COVID-19 rescue package"},"content":{"rendered":"\"chuckhoskin\"\r\n
Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. participates in a National Day of Remembrance on March 18, 2021, to honor lives lost to COVID-19. Photo: Cherokee Nation<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
Tribes to get record funding from American Rescue Plan<\/div>\r\n
Friday, March 26, 2021<\/div>\r\n
By Joseph Tomlinson<\/div>\r\n
Gaylord News<\/div>\r\n
gaylordnews.net<\/a><\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nWASHINGTON \u2014 Tribes in Oklahoma are both hopeful and anxious as they wait for the funds and spending rules from the American Rescue Plan that President Joe Biden signed on March 11.

<\/P>\r\n\r\nNative American tribes nationwide will receive more than $31 billion as part of the \r\nAmerican Rescue Plan<\/a>, the largest one-time investment to Native American communities in history. However, the amount of money set to be given to Oklahoma tribes on an individual basis is largely unknown and likely will be until further tribal consultation has occurred.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\r\nNonetheless, some tribes in Oklahoma hope the plan will pull them out of the fight against COVID-19 and return to normal.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cI think (spending will) be less (focused) on the PPE and testing and (more focused on) the economy (being) decimated and making things kind of get back to somewhat of a new normal,\u201d said James Weigant, COVID Task Force coordinator for the Osage Nation. \u201cBut at the same time, you\u2019re hearing rumors of a fourth wave in Europe, and you know, the other shoe could drop, and we\u2019re back into the trenches again.\u201d

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<\/P>\r\nOut of the $31 billion tribes will receive, $20 billion will focus on combating COVID-19 and stabilizing safety nets in tribal communities. Additionally, $1 billion will be split evenly among the 574 federally recognized tribes, portioning about $1.7 million to each tribe, including the 38 federally recognized tribes in Oklahoma, said Libby Washburn, special assistant to Biden. The remaining $19 billion will be distributed to each tribe using an undisclosed formula developed by the U.S. Treasury.

<\/P>\r\nAnother portion of that money is from Housing and Urban Development, in which Oklahoma tribes will receive about $65 million under the Indian Housing Block Grant program, Washburn said.

<\/P>\r\nUnder a separate program from HUD \u2014 the Indian Community Development Block Grant program \u2014 there is a $280 million pot from which tribes nationwide can seek grants. Housing infrastructure has been an ongoing issue for many tribes in Oklahoma throughout the pandemic, and Washburn expects Oklahoma tribes to take advantage of these programs.

<\/P>\r\nThe Osage Nation, like other tribes, is developing an early and broad spending plan that remains difficult to finalize without further guidance from the federal government, but they\u2019re focusing on key areas, one of them being infrastructure.

<\/P>\r\n\u201cWe\u2019re trying to identify some of those areas,\u201d Weigant said. \u201cIt\u2019s still a draft and work in progress \u2026 but infrastructure is a big part of that.\u201d

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