09.24.02

Cantwell announces Kalispel Tribe to receive $505,000 technology grant

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a member of the Indian Affairs Committee, today announced the Kalispel Tribe will receive a $505,000 Technologies Opportunities Program (TOP) grant from the Department of Commerce to use broadband technology to create a web based tool to document the life, history, culture, and objects of the Upper and Lower Plateau Tribes.

"This funding boosts a fantastic project that will preserve tribal culture for future generations while giving tribal members the opportunity to learn the skills needed to expand economic development," Cantwell, a strong advocate of grant application, said. "For example, tribal artisans could learn the skills needed to create a web site to sell their crafts on-line."

"This project will build on and strengthen our culture and history," Francis Cullooyah, Director of Culture for the Kalispel Tribe, said. "I am so overwhelmed and glad that we were able to get assistance from Senator Cantwell to reach this goal."

The Kalispel Tribe will use this grant for four primary purposes:

To provide for formal and informal training to help tribal members learn to use technology for economic development. To assist in establishing an online, web-based environment for the preservation, documentation, and archiving of Kalispel tribal culture and history. To establish a broadband digital network to engage members of the Kalispel, Spokane, Flathead, and Coeur d'Alene tribes with non-tribal organizations such as the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane School District No. 81, the Cusick School District, the Camas Institute, the Spokane Urban Indian Center, and the Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations. To help the Kalispel Tribe establish an Intercollegiate Center for Native Studies. The Center will be a central point of distribution of the formal curriculum established by the Kalispel Tribe to other tribes and higher-education centers, elementary and secondary schools, and to non-school organizations throughout the region.