Happy New Year and New Grants!

The Great Plains Tribal Water Alliance wishes everyone a very happy New Year! 

We are excited for 2023 and pleased to announce two new grants that will enable the GPTWA to grow and develop as the premier regional inter-tribal organization protecting tribal water rights and supporting tribal resiliency. 

Two of the GPTWA’s employees were accepted into the pilot training Steps to Resilience led by Fernleaf and UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center, in collaboration with NOAA’s Climate Program Office. This training will “equip participants with the expertise necessary to help communities across the country plan and prepare for climate-related impacts.” The funding for this program comes from the Climate Resilience Fund through its Coordination and Collaboration in the Resilience Ecosystem Program. 

The second grant comes from NDN Collective through its Community Self-Determination Grant which “invests and supports the long-term visions, priorities, and power building of Indigenous Nations, communities, and Peoples.” The GPTWA is one of 65 grantees to receive the two-year grant which will directly support our efforts to protect tribal water rights throughout the Great Plains. 

The work of protecting tribal water is increasingly important as drought and climate impacts exacerbate the regional water supply. Water grabs from states and municipalities as well as mismanagement of waterways by the US Army Corps of Engineers make our work more important than ever especially in light of the recently lifted moratorium on tribal water codes by Secretary Haaland.

We greatly appreciate NDN Collective and the Climate Resilience Fund for their financial and technical support. We are excited to move forward with protecting tribal water and continuing this work with our partners throughout the region.