Geyserville Dry Creek Rancheria receives grant

The Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, Geyserville, California, has received $19,995 in grant money from First Nations Development Institute’s Native Youth and Culture Fund.

More than a dozen young Pomo Indians gathered at the Alexander Valley Campground Wednesday, Aug. 8,  for a Native lunch to culminate a special summer youth program aimed at preserving their tribal culture. Traditional Native American food was served and heritage games were  taught and played.

Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians also will be using  the funds to create a Southern Pomo language app for iPhones and Android phones, and for digital signage that links to information (photos, audio recordings, video) about traditional plants and related Southern Pomo words.

The Native Youth and Culture Fund, underwritten by the Kalliopeia Foundation with other contributions from foundations and tribal, corporate and individual supporters, is part of First Nations’ effort to strengthen Native American nonprofit organizations, and is a key component of First Nations’ overall mission of revitalizing American Indian economies and communities.

The fund was launched in 2002 by First Nations to partner with tribes, Native nonprofit organizations and Native community groups working in Indian communities with the intent to preserve, strengthen, and/or renew American Indian culture and tradition among tribal youth. Since 2002, 201 grants have been awarded to Native youth programs throughout the U.S., totaling $3.3 million.

The grants support the projects and provide capacity building and training to the organizations’ staff members.  First Nations believes Native youth are key to the future of Indian Country, and that youth-development efforts significantly enhance First Nations’ work to strengthen tribal economies. All of the funded projects demonstrate creative and innovative approaches, whether through traditional knowledge, art, language or a program or business enterprise.