$1M Grant Headed to Little Traverse Bay Bands

By Jillian Manning | April 30, 2022

Funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) continue to be distributed around the country, and here in northern Michigan, the latest recipient is the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTTB), which was awarded a $1 million grant to support economic development strategies. The welcome chunk of change is part of the Economic Development Administration’s Indigenous Communities program, which allocated $100 million in ARP funding specifically for Indigenous communities that “were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic,” according to the program’s webpage. The grant is intended for investment in economic growth like starting new businesses, creating new jobs, and diversifying the tribal economy. In response to receiving the grant, Tribal Chairperson Regina Gasco-Bentley says, “There is a critical need in our community for economic diversification to address the lack of family-sustaining employment and slow economic growth. … LTBB will be able to establish and implement a comprehensive recovery strategy that takes tribal and regional strengths and weaknesses into account while building economic capacity. This strategy will not only benefit the tribe but also our surrounding community.”