irst Nations Receives $100,000 Grant from Agua Fund to Help Improve Native Food Access

LONGMONT, Colorado (December 5, 2018) – First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) today announced it has received a $100,000 grant from the Agua Fund as renewed funding to assist Native American communities in South Dakota and on the Navajo Nation (Arizona, New Mexico and Utah). The funding allows First Nations to work with selected communities toward increasing control of their local food systems for improved health and well-being, as well as for asset-building and economic development purposes.

The Agua Fund support will make possible two grants of $30,000 each to Native nonprofit organizations or tribes that will conduct activities such as community food assessments, increasing access to fresh and healthy foods, and expanding food-related business development initiatives. In addition, capacity building training will be provided to six representatives of the grantee organizations and two other selected organizations through attendance at the national Food Sovereignty Summit that First Nations co-hosts with the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. That event will take place September 23-26, 2019, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Priority will be given to projects aimed at increasing the availability of healthy, locally-produced foods in Native American communities, reducing food insecurity, promoting entrepreneurship and/or programs that create systemic change by increasing community control of local food systems. Priority also will be given to organizations that can assist and contribute to the development of emerging and promising practices in strengthening Native food systems.

About First Nations Development Institute

For 38 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 http://www.firstnations.org.

About the Agua Fund

The Agua Fund is a private foundation based in Washington, D.C. The Fund's mission is to improve the quality of life through support of work to protect the natural environment and to help the poor, disadvantaged and underserved. For more information, visit http://www.aguafund.org.