NORTHWEST MINNESOTA FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANT FUNDS FOR SAHKAHTAY INDIGENOUS PRESERVATION SOCIETY'S YOUTH GARDEN PROJECT

The Northwest Minnesota Foundation announced that it has awarded a grant for $21,500 to fund a garden project for youth who are at-risk, promoting traditional values, intergenerational communication, pride in oneself, and a healthy lifestyle.

The program is being delivered by the Sahkahtay Indigenous Preservation Society, a group working in the Naytahwaush area for the past seven years. Its mission is to restore balance of indigenous communities and the environment through the revitalization, education, and practice of indigenous values, life ways and science.

Activities new to the Youth Garden Project are greenhouse management, building a new community garden, creating a new farmers market, building raised beds for elderly village residents, participating in financial literacy classes, and also documenting their work. Tree planting and elder interaction, which will also be included, were begun by the youth project last year. Program Director Bill Paulson will provide supervision.

Paulson said, "We really appreciate the ability to do this project again with the foundation's help."

One of the project's goals is to provide a source of income for both kids and elders through stipends. The youth will be creating special accounts through the White Earth Investment Initiative, using strategies to help them save for future needs.

Community elders will work directly with the kids, teaching them the various skills they need to learn and sharing Anishinaabeg traditions and values, providing an opportunity to build bridges between them.

According to Nancy Vyskocil, NMF president, the project fits well with NMF's current grant strategies, including benefits to at-risk children, involvement of the community's elders and an emphasis on sustainable natural resource practices.

"This grant project is teaching the children so much in a very enjoyable, healthy and meaningful way that builds self-confidence," she said. "Sahkahtay has also established strong partnerships in the area and is involving the participants in the Northwest Area Foundation's Horizons Program leadership group. The project is filled with promise for positive outcomes."

The Northwest Minnesota Foundation is a charitable foundation committed to investing resources, creating opportunities and promoting philanthropy to make the region a better place to live and work.