Legislative Advocacy
 

Legislative Advocacy

 

Native American Heritage Fund Grant Recipients Announced: Seven projects - including three from community colleges! - have received grant funding from the Native American Heritage Fund (NAHF) Board this week. Grant funds are available to Michigan's K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and local units of government to defray the costs of projects that promote positive relationships and accurate information about the history and role of Michigan's Indian tribes and Native Americans in the state.

The 2019 NAHF grants include:

    1. Bay de Noc Community College - $6,000 to publicly acknowledge the Treaty of 1836 through a public plaque on each campus and a Treaty Day celebration
    2. Godfrey-Lee Public Schools - $98,000 to rebrand the current mascot from "Rebels" to a new mascot and nickname that is culturally responsive
    3. Grand Rapids Community College - $5,285 to support the Grand Rapids Community College Education and Reconciliation Project including a trip to the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinaabe Culture and Lifeways and a Native American Speaker's Forum
    4. Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University College of Law - $20,000 to provide a two-day symposium, Native Family Day, and ancillary programming throughout the year
    5. Monroe County Community College - $199,234 to create curriculum and a set of immersion experiences for K-12 students, focused on how to research stories from the Native perspective
    6. Northern Michigan University - $134,612.80 to expand Anishinabek language course offerings at undergraduate and graduate levels
    7. The Friendship Community/LIFT Teen Center - $16,650 to support an overnight backpacking trip to South Manitou Island, exposing students to the history of the Ottawa tribe.

Legislative Session Schedule: Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have announced that they will reconvene the week of August 26. Budget negotiations between the two chambers are continuing while Legislators are home in their districts.

 



HELPFUL LINKS

Michigan Legislature’s website (bill tracking and committee meetings)

Michigan House of Representatives

Michigan Senate

Community College Legal Authority (Michigan Constitution)

Community College Act of 1966

 

For the map of the community college districts, click here.