Native American Asset Watch Initiative (NAAWI)
The goal of First Nations’ Native American Asset Watch Initiative (NAAWI) is to partner with tribes and Native communities seeking to develop comprehensive strategies for economic improvement, protection and revitalization of traditional resources and the environment as a whole. To this end, First Nations' NAAWI combines asset research, public education, and grassroots grantmaking and technical assistance to develop tools for reclamation of assets and to nurture and model best practices in cultural and environmental preservation in Native communities. Under this initiative, we are studying the current control of Native assets by outside entities and developing approaches for returning those assets to community control, as well as identifying legislative and regulatory barriers to effective Native environmental protection and preservation.
Currently only invited proposals are eligible for funding.
Current Grants under the Native American Asset Watch Initiative
$6,000
To host a “Daniel Pennock Democracy School” for 20 attendees on the Great Sioux Nation treaty area to create awareness and increase action around uranium mining and water protection.
$25,000
To develop better control over tribal land records to enable them to utilize their land more effectively for housing, food production and/or economic development. In addition to obtaining much needed technology to store the database, the association will conduct extensive research on the land base and provide education to tribal members on their rights.
$20,000
To support an asset mapping project that pairs Shoshone youth and elders to map the cultural, spiritual and economic assets of Newe Sogobia (Western Shoshone homelands) in an effort to retain cultural knowledge and protect Shoshone homelands.
Sacaton, AZ
$14,948.51
To support tribal control of water by indexing and digitizing records of legal and historical significance.
New Town, ND
$43,000
To develop water protection polices and systems in order to better control and protect tribal water resources.
$25,000
To convene a series of meetings with tribal members, the tribal legislature and the tribal enterprises board of directors to discuss the elements of an annual review & reporting format in an effort to retain third party forest certification and to create a plan for maintaining the sustainability of funding sources for ongoing annual determinations.
