Tribal Council approves broadband connectivity grant application

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council approved an application for a $2.6 million grant to improve high speed internet services at its Wednesday, Jan. 10, meeting.

The federal Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a grant designed to bring better internet service to rural Tribal communities. If approved, the four-year award would provide up to $2.6 million for 195 houses within Tribal Reservation lands to receive updated broadband services.

“This grant is primarily a construction grant allowing for new towers and fiber to be installed and will allow us to network with the Native-owned and operated company, Native Network, so that we can ensure its success,” Grants Management Assistant Dana Morfin said during a Legislative Action Committee meeting Tuesday, Jan. 9.

The Tribe received $500,000 from the same grant in 2023.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved a $120,000 application for a Bureau of Indian Affairs Endangered Species Program grant to assess western pond turtle presence on Tribal lands;
• Approved paying annual Indian Gaming Association membership dues of $25,000 and appointing Tribal Council member Denise Harvey as the Tribe’s delegate and all other council members as alternates;
• And approved enrolling one infant into the Tribe and approved a non-infant emergency enrollment because they meet the requirements outlined in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

To watch the entire meeting, visit the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and click on the Videos tab.