Through a donation from the Native American Heritage Fund (NAHF), MCCC has received a financial grant amounting to $199,234.
This grant was received in partnership with the River Raisin National Battlefield Park along with three different Native American groups: the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma, the Wyandot of Anderdon Nation, and the Turtle Island Dream Keepers.
With this grant money, MCCC plans to enact a project titled “A Journey Towards Understanding and Reconciliation”.
A conference was held Sept. 21 in the La-Z-Boy Center Atrium.
Speakers included MCCC President Kojo A. Quartey; State Rep. Jason Sheppard; State Sen. Dale Zorn; Scott Bentley, superintendent of River Raisin National Battlefield Park; Ted Roll, grand chief of the Wyandot of Anderdon Nation; and MCCC Professor Edmund La Clair.
The project aims to provide “immersion experiences” such as modified lesson plans for K-12, internship opportunities and an art/essay contest.
These immersion experiences set out to “debunk the myths and ‘un-teach’ the narrow and biased perspectives of the past”, according to the grant project application.
“[The] NAHF project is directly in line with MCCC’s mission of ‘enriching lives in our’ community,” Quartey said.
“It is an honor to be able to lead the way with this initiative and offer funding to help strengthen the relationships between tribes and communities across the state” Vice Chairperson of the NAHF Board stated during the press release.
A coordinator for the grant project is yet to be named, but the project is expected to run from fall 2019 to fall 2020.
MCCC is one of seven institutions to receive grant money.
Other institutions receiving grants from the NAHF include Bay de Noc Community College, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, Grand Rapids Community College, the Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University of Law , Northern Michigan University and the Friendship Community/LIFT Teen Center.
