Public Law 102-477 Receives New MOA Supporting Tribal Sovereignty
After several months of meetings with multiple federal agencies led by the Department of Interior with tribal consultations, they have reached a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on implementing Public Law 102-477 to better support tribal sovereignty. Public Law 102-477 reduces the burden of tribal administrative, reporting, and accounting costs, and gives tribes the power to best integrate and deliver federal services within their communities.
Tribal 477 plans allow federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native entities to streamline eligible employment, training, and related services, programs, and funds through the department. The MOA was signed by the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs.
Mille Lacs Band Aanjibimadizing was asked to be part of the consultations. The federal partners listened to tribes who were pushing for a MOA that followed the law and would not allow for agencies to overstep their boundaries. Representing the Mille Lacs Band was Baabiitaw Boyd, Deputy Assistant Chief Executive Office, with Tammy Wickstrom, Aanjibimaadizing Executive Director serving as an alternate. Boyd participated in the negotiations and provided discussions commenting on funding and the timeliness of the federal response. Several funding opportunities that should have been done in 90 days had been taking several months to process. This new MOA will simplify the process.
“This was a very long process and is exciting news for the Aanji program,” said Tammy Wickstrom, Executive Director of Aanjibimaadizing. “This will help to allow us to better serve our clients with greater efficiency focused on our clients' needbased programs.”
Participating tribes are required to submit a federal plan on funding needs and programs listing all of the federal funding necessary. Whatever agency the individual program falls under, plans need to be approved by that supporting agency. Each plan also identifies the goals of the particular programs and what each one will accomplish. Programs identified by Aanji include but are not limited to WEX, small business development, TANF, Ojibwe language and cultural activities. The federal funding agencies in the current plan include TANF under Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Office of Child Care, and the Department of the Interior. The new MOA for 477 plans will help to simplify the approval process.
Wickstrom is pleased to announce the current Aanjibimaadizing plan was approved within 90 days.
"The new MOA is written so that tribes are able to self-identify priorities with funding," Wickstrom added. "This is really good news for tribal communities."
