Community Update on ARPA Planning and Implementation

Dear Tribal Members,

As we wrap up the summer months, we want to provide updates on the progress of the implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) planning being undertaken by the Sokaogon Chippewa Community Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The initiatives being implemented through the ARPA process are the result of information collected through surveys, meetings, and interviews with the community. With that information, the Tribal Council has been able to make informed decisions for the Tribe.

ARPA provided $20 billion to be disbursed to all tribes based on the number of members and tribal economies, with no consideration given to whether the tribe was urban or rural. The lowest amount a tribe received was $1 million and the highest was $900 million. Our Tribe received $13.6 million; based on our tribe’s needs, however, these monies do not go far enough.

From the time of disbursal, our tribe has been given 36 months to allocate or return this money. Some tribes have not allocated or spent any money because they cannot agree on how to best use the money. Other tribes spent it all within the first month of receiving the funds. Our Tribal Council has been thoughtful as to the use of your ARPA funds. Our Tribal Council has set aside 20% of the ARPA funding received, to use as seed money to plan for “shovel-ready” projects in an effort to “go after” substantially larger funding. To date, our Tribe is working on plans to get your share of almost $18 billion dollars in competitive grants. This $18 billion in funding includes the following: