Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.8 Million in CARES Act Funding to Boost Economic Development Programs Critical to Helping Native American and Alaska Native Planning Organizations Respond to Coronavirus

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $1.8 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to Native American and Alaska Native planning organizations to update economic development plans and fortify programs to assist communities in responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Trump Administration is eager to allocate these essential CARES Act funds and deliver on our promise to help Native American communities recover from the impact of COVID-19,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “I am proud of the perseverance and strength shown by our communities coast to coast throughout this pandemic, and these funds will help provide Native American and Alaska Native planning organizations with resources to make a swift and lasting economic comeback.”

“This investment comes at a crucial time to help the economies of Native American and Alaska Native communities and our nation’s economy come roaring back and provide hard-working Americans with new opportunities,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “We are pleased to make these investment in our Native American and Alaska Native planning organization grantees to help them prevent, prepare, and respond to coronavirus.”

The EDA investments announced today are:

• The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Montana, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to increase their capacity to provide technical assistance to Tribal-member owned businesses, Tribal corporations, and entities by increasing staff and remote work capabilities and by expanding computer access for clients at the S&K Business Services center, which is located on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Western Montana.
• The Penobscot Indian Nation, Maine, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to conduct economic recovery planning that integrates economic and business recovery into the Tribe’s overall recovery activities to strengthen resiliency, provide technical assistance to Tribal enterprise and Native entrepreneurs, support cultural tourism and artisan handmade goods, diversify regional food systems in agriculture and aquaculture, hire additional economic development staff, and support workforce development for Tribal citizens.
• Kodiak Area Native Association, Alaska, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to deliver immediate support to businesses, community development organizations, and local and tribal governments to access financial and technical assistance resources, diversify the regional economy, and prepare regional entities and businesses to reduce impacts of economic catastrophes.
• The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, North Carolina, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to help identify new opportunities that will steer their tribe into the next generation of economic recovery.
• The Lummi Indian Business Council, Washington, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to commission experts to aid in the development of resiliency and recovery strategies.
• The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation, Idaho, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to employ staff and provide dedicated resources to ensure that COVID-19 responses are coordinated and contribute to continued economic and community and regional development.
• The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, New York, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to implement technical assistance and capacity building to local businesses and to support workforce needs.
• Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Economic Development Corporation, Oregon, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to ensure that Native-owned small businesses have access to technical and financial resources to navigate the new economic landscape.
• Bristol Bay Native Association, Inc., Alaska, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to hire additional staff to support local businesses as they strive to recover from the pandemic.
• The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, North Dakota, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to update economic development plans and fortify programs to assist communities in responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
• The Seneca Nation of Indians, New York, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to create a comprehensive recovery and resilience plan targeting the impact to the Seneca Nation’s economy and workforce stemming from COVID-19. The Nation will hire an expert in economics, who will develop a plan combining short-term solutions with long-term economic recovery and resilience. The plan will determine how new partnerships can be developed between the Nation and Seneca small business owners for their mutual benefit and sustainability, as well as provide the capacity to address the Seneca Nation’s gaps in technology.
• The Catawba Indian Nation, South Carolina, will receive a $150,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to conduct economic recovery planning that integrates economic and business recovery into the Tribe’s overall recovery activities, provide technical assistance to Tribal enterprise and Native entrepreneurs, support cultural tourism and artisan handmade goods, and work to diversify regional food systems.

These Native American and Alaska Native planning organizations, all current EDA-designated Native American planning grantees, are some of the more than 850 existing, high-performing EDA Economic Development District, University Center, Tribal, and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grant recipients invited to apply for supplemental funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump, provides EDA with $1.5 billion for economic development assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

On May 7, Secretary Ross announced that EDA is accepting applications for CARES Act Recovery Assistance funding opportunities.

EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. For complete information, please visit our recently updated EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.