First Nations Development Institute Awards $15,000 Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative Grants to Two South Dakota Reservation-Based Organizations

LONGMONT, Colorado (March 30, 2015) – First Nations Development Institute (*First Nations* [ http://www.firstnations.org ]), a national Native American nonprofit organization that works to improve Native economies and communities, has awarded two grants under its Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative (NAFSI). Funding for these grants was made possible by *Agua Fund* [ http://www.aguafund.org ], a family foundation based in Washington, D.C.

The grant recipients are:

* *Rosebud Economic Development Corporation (REDCO) [ http://sicangucorp.com/ ], Mission, South Dakota - $15,000* – The Keya Wakpala Food Sovereignty Project (KWFSP) provides access to fresh, local produce and affordable, healthy staples for members of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. The KWFSP encompasses two primary areas of activity: production of fresh food in a greenhouse and community garden, and the distribution and promotion of healthy food, both within the tribally-owned Turtle Creek Crossing Supermarket and at a weekly summer farmers' market.

* *Enemy Swim Day School [ http://esds.us/ ], Waubay, South Dakota - $15,000* – The Grow to Learn, Learn to Grow Project is a sustainable growing and garden leadership project for adult learners attending center-based adult literacy classes. The purpose of the project is to teach tribal members from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate to become generational food growers, in order to enhance family health and wellness and to increase leadership skills that will have a positive impact on their communities.

In December 2014, First Nations announced $50,000 in funding from Agua Fund along with this project that allows First Nations to provide financial assistance and capacity-building training to two or three Native tribes or organization focused on ending hunger and improving nutrition and access to healthy foods in Native communities. The announcement noted that participants would be located in the Sioux communities of the Dakotas, and that priority would be given to projects aimed at increasing the availability of healthy, locally-produced foods.

*About First Nations Development Institute*

For 35 years, using a three-pronged strategy of educating grassroots practitioners, advocating for systemic change, and capitalizing Indian communities, First Nations has been working to restore Native American control and culturally-compatible stewardship of the assets they own – be they land, human potential, cultural heritage, or natural resources – and to establish new assets for ensuring the long-term vitality of Native American communities. First Nations serves Native American communities throughout the United States. For more information, visit *www.firstnations.org* [ http://www.firstnations.org ].