Since my start at USDA Rural Development, I have made it a priority to support critical investments with our 39 Tribal partners across Oklahoma. I’m a firm believer that when fully embrace the rich heritage and Tribal sovereignty of our partners in Indian Country, we can see incredible benefits for all Oklahomans!
Since the beginning of the Biden Administration Rural Development has invested more than $309 million in tribal projects across the state that impact everything from healthcare, high-speed internet access, housing, clean drinking water, higher education and growing Native American entrepreneurs.
One of the incredible projects coming to Oklahoma is a new Behavioral Health facility that we partnered with the Pawnee Nation with in providing grant funds and a guaranteed loan. There are limited mental health services across Oklahoma, but this is especially true in rural Oklahoma. This development that is already in the process of being constructed in Pawnee, will help fill in a critical gap in our health system in Oklahoma.
Speaking of filling in a needed gap, the Choctaw Nation, via a high-speed internet grant provided by USDA recently was able to provide fiber internet in Le Flore County. This new service called “Chata Connect” was recently supplied to Hodgen Public Schools, who until the Choctaw Nation recently stepped in had been left in the digital dust. The situation was so dire in Hodgen, that when it came time for State Testing requirements, classrooms were limited to taking this online requirement by rationing the time each classroom could take the exam, and the school administrators would have to hope and pray that their internet connections would not be interrupted due to the limited bandwidth and unreliable service. Now thanks to this service provided by the Choctaw Nation, every student and teacher can connect with instant speeds without having to barter for time with their fellow students and teachers.
Another investment USDA has made within Indian Country, is providing access for home ownership via Rural Developments Direct Loan Program or Guaranteed Home Loan Program to more than 670 Native American families. This investment of nearly $100 million is particularly important for me, as home ownership is the cornerstone of building generational wealth for families – that growing up my fellow siblings and I didn’t have the opportunity to seize ourselves.
What these investment projects don’t include are the millions of dollars Oklahoma Tribal Nations invest directly themselves to Oklahoma schools, cities, water authorities and more as part of the matching funds for USDA grants we provide at Rural Development. These projects have helped fund new roads, health care, education, first responders, and critical infrastructure all across Oklahoma. This reciprocal partnership with Indian Country and Oklahomans happens every week across Oklahoma, because our Tribal Nations believe in investing into the future of Oklahoma. While November maybe Native American Heritage Month, I think it is important not to just celebrate the rich history of our 39 Tribes, but the collaborative effort all of Indian Country makes on a daily basis to better Oklahoma for all!