Shinnecock Indian Nation case study

  • Case
    • Nation is located on the East End of Long Island, surrounded by the Town of Southampton in Suffolk County. 
    • In desperate need of broadband due to COVID-19 and  unable to access any resources they needed to survive
      • tribal government cannot fully participate in the business of serving and protecting the Nation 
      • children of the Shinnecock Nation are impeded from continuing their education 
  •  Funding/ Support
    • 2021:  Shinnecock Indian Nation received a federal grant of more than $9 million as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to help American Indian tribes affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Strategies for success 
    • Prior proper planning with funding
      • created a committee to study tribal needs and to determine how best to spend  federal grant
      • provide ability to help build up tribal technology, governmental and emergency infrastructure
      • early projects being contemplated include wider broadband connectivity on the reservation, tribal government infrastructure and security, and continued funding for assistance programs
        • Pre-planning ensures that funding does not get wrongly placed within other projects without enough to finish the project and fits the required needs to all members of the tribe

Key Themes: Revenue – Economy

Issues: Resources – Business 

Strategies: Building Committees – Building Infrastructure

Forms of Access: Community – Government and local offices

Reference: https://www.newsday.com/business/coronavirus/shinnecock-nation-federal-grant-1.50268355