The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced this week that it has added two tribes to the Tiwahe Initiative Social Services Demonstration Program. The program, launched by the Obama administration in 2015, aims to improve health and wellness in Tribal communities by providing culturally competent social services. Tiwahe means family in the Lakota language and symbolizes the interconnectedness of all living things and one’s personal responsibility to protect family, community, and the environment.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana and the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah have been selected to participate in the program, joining six other pilot sites run by the Association of Village Council Presidents, Fort Belknap Indian Community, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Spirit Lake Dakota Tribe, and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in the BIA program.
The Tiwahe Initiative enables Tribes to reshape social service programs and services to fully infuse tribal culture, traditions, and customs and meet the needs of their community. “The Tiwahe Initiative works because it gives Tribes the freedom and flexibility to build programs that reflect the needs of their communities, while incorporating their own views, values, and traditions,” said Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Bryan Newland in a press release.
The program has been funded approximately $184.3 million by Congress between FY2015 and FY2020, with more than $76 million on Social Services programs and more than $44 million on Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) programs. The six pilot sites submitted a final report in 2021 that demonstrated accomplishments in the 5 years of implementation.
Ten Tribes and Tribal organizations have been chosen to receive $100,000 in one-time funding to implement programs that were included in their previous Tiwahe proposal, or participate in the Tiwahe incubator. Tribes and organizations have the opportunity to perform a needs assessment and develop a Tiwahe plan. The 10 Tribes and organizations receiving $100,000 in one-time funding are: Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Tanana Chiefs Conference, Penobscot Nation, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Pawnee Nation, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, and the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
President Biden has requested $78.1 million for the Tiwahe Initiative, an increase of $33.5 million from FY 2023. Assistant Secretary of the Interior Bryan Newland said that President Biden’s budget increase would make significant investments in Tribal sovereignty and revitalization. “This Administration’s commitment to supporting the sovereignty of Tribal Nations and addressing long-standing disparities is unprecedented and will remain an important moment in our nation’s history,” Newland said.
