SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
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Tribe receives federal funds
to combat opioid crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, along
with the state of Oregon, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
and Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, will share in $20 million in
federal funding to combat the opioid crisis.
The funds will be distributed through two U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Ad-
ministration programs. The programs, State Opioid Response and Tribal
Opioid Response, are each in the first year of what will be a two-year
program that is expected to distribute almost $3 billion nationwide to
provide community-level resources for prevention, treatment and recovery
support services to both states and Tribes.
The funding to Tribes is designed to help develop tailored approaches
to prevention, treatment and recovery from opioid use disorders and/or
stimulant use disorders.
“I have heard heart-wrenching stories from Oregonians and members
of Tribes who have lost loved ones after a prescription for an injury or
treatment turned into an addiction,” Sen. Jeff Merkley said in an Aug.
31 press release announcing the grant funding. “The impact of this crisis
across communities is incalculable. These funds will have a real impact
on our fight to beat this epidemic.”
The Grand Ronde Tribe has recently purchased properties in Portland
and Salem in which to establish medication-assisted treatment centers
to help treat Tribal members and other Native Americans battling opioid
addiction.
Planning and Grants Manager Kim Rogers said the Tribe will receive
$200,000 for two years — $400,000 total — in Tribal Opioid Response
funding that will help pay for a case manager to work at the new Salem
clinic. 
Graduate Center starts
coaching program
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The American Indian Graduate Center is
launching Rising Native Graduates, which will offer academic coaching
opportunities designed for Native undergraduate students in Alaska,
Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana in their pursuit of a graduate
or professional school education.
Rising Native Graduates is supported by a $300,000 three-year grant
from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and also is supported by funding
from Wells Fargo.
“Indigenous scholars are not equally represented in the graduate and
professional school settings,” said Angelique Albert, executive director
of the American Indian Graduate Center. “The opportunity gap between
academic services for Native students and other minorities is significant,
particularly regarding cradle-to-career strategies. Our program is unique
from any other program because it is design specifically to empower these
incredible students who have statistically been left out by large educa-
tional data sets.”
Current undergraduate junior and senior Native students in the region
are encouraged to take advantage of the program.
“Essentially, we are offering Native role models who can give them
real advice and strategies to excel in this phase of their education,” said
Dr. Salena Beaumont Hill, Rising Native Graduates program manager.
“Providing this Native-centered academic support is pivotal to ensuring
our students’ academic success.”
Both academic coach and scholar applications are available at AIGCS.
org. 
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