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Fort Peck Annual Report 2015

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Fort Peck Annual Report 2015 Page 01of35 Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes Fort Peck Indian Reservation P. L. 102-477 Workforce Development Programs P. 0. Box 1027 Poplar, Montana 59255~----------- U.S. Department of the Interior s C/J/J 1..fJ) .fh/L 7 0 Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Self-Determination K~J Utltti,i,ct'f Office of Indian Services 1849 C Street, NW MS-4513-MIB Washington, DC 20240 ATIN: Mr. Terrance Parks, Chief DEC 2 3 2015 RE: Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes Fort Peck Indian Reservation Burea u of In di an Attairs Annual Program Narrative, Statistical and Financial Report Office of \r. o • Sf: ril : .... s Contract No. BIA A14AV00102 Federalfrribal Program Year (PY) 2015 (Duration: 10/01/14 - 09/30/15) Dear Mr. Parks: The Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana ("Fort Peck Tribes") ("Tribes") ensuing P. L. 102-477 Program Year (PY) 2015 (10/01/14 -09/30/15) annual program Narrative, Statistical and Financial Report has been prepared. It is hereby submitted to the U. S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of Self- Determination, Office of Indian Services. Most importantly, we convey the ensuing manuscript and summarized information for grantee (Fort Peck Tribes) compliance with specific terms and conditions of approved U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs'/Fort Peck Tribes' P. L. 102-477 federal financial assistance award Contract No. A14AV00102. ~-~~-4~~>1.;·~;~ / _. .. t ~-:.. ·~~~ £ ;_(, ' - . -~ ' . - 4 ~ • • : ... - '-: _ ,::-J~-·1,\ ~~".._.{l~~~~.f>'~'l,'\i~~~ ~\~/''·~·:'°'!"~ ..~ (,~_.,.' 1' .__·~-i, ~-,~<"'VI~~""~ 'il4'~µ1.",,c'~ ;:..... ~)"¥, ;.,·:-) ~~' •• .j~:~.,_!..,"'Vi~? \\-.,.1..,,~ :·~~ ~~.«,.:O'~~~.;co~ir-,....'1.-"t~_.\1';. f'r •,; f• .:~.:,..~~.),._~,.;::$:9~~}~,;.(:~~~lf'"~'\'.:.:~~ " Page 02of35 Our PY ' 15 progress report briefly illustrates and summarizes respective programmatic operational information and data which articulates the scope and extent of activity accomplishments and outcomes attained during our P. L. 102-477 program operation. Our approved Fort Peck Indian Reservation P. L. 102-477 Native American geographical service area is confined within the extreme northeast portion of the State of Montana. Unfortunately, as a result of our historical U. S. Governmentally designated physical location, it remains our foremost opinion that the Fort Peck Indian Reservation is undoubtedly situated in the most rural and desolate portions of the State of Montana and the United States of America. Primarily in lieu of this unfortunate "extemality," the Fort Peck Tribes are perpetually confronted by deprived environments, unmitigated and exacerbated situations which inhibit aspired social, human, economic progress and measurable attainment of desired sustainability. From a contemporary perspective and similar to situations within a majority of the Nation's federally recognized Indian Reservations, the Fort Peck Tribes possess substandard capacity necessary for occurrence of prudent development. A portion of our rationale which accurately supports this assertion is offered in the following most recent, available and summarized Fort Peck Tribal labor force and Reservation poverty data: An excerpt from the April, 2010 Bureau of Indian Affairs, Fort Peck Reservation's "Labor Force Estimate Report" indicated that the Fort Peck Reservation, during the noted timeframe, possessed an approximate 56.5% Native American unemployment rate. CVVe are of the opinion that this percentage remains more accurate than Tribal data contained in the more Page 03of35 recent domestic American Community Survey (ACS.)) Also, associated data obtained from the October 13 , 2 13 edition of the State of Montana, Department of Commerce' s "Fort Peck Reservation, Demographic and Economic Information" brochure illustrates a U. S. Bureau of Indian Affairs comparable unemployment rate of 53.50% for the Fort Peck Indian Reservation In addition, ubiquitous poverty continues to afflict Fort Peck Indian Reservation livelihood and desired growth. Data from the 2010 U. S. Census excruciatingly depicts a Fort Peck Indian Reservation striking unresolved poverty rate of a!Jproximately 49% ~ Current application of this statistic indicates that today, at least one in every two Fort Peck Reservation Native American residents continues to be crushed by the crippling grip of poverty which inhibits upward mobility. Furthermore, the Fort Peck Reservation's previously illustrated 49% unemployment rate reinforces the dubious fact that our poor Fort Peck Indian Reservation Native American residents are among the more deprived population groups within the United States of America. Moreover, the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and its economy are confronted by a population which has a faster growth rate and a younger median age, possess~s people with fewer academic degrees and higher school dropout rates, has a larger percentage of people who continue to rely on subsidized public assistance, higher pregnancy and controlled substance abuse rates, reliance on au unstable public sector driven Tribal economy, a very minimal Native American private sector, lower per capita income, inferior wages, a relatively large and unprepared labor force, an exorbitant "joblessness" rate, lower housing values, etc. Page 04of35 In lieu of the stagnant Fort Peck Indian Reservation socio-economic situation, the scope of our currently approved P. L. 102-477 Plan of Operation and its accomplishments, our annual narrative, statistical and financial report is presented and articulated within the concept of integrated and focused "Workforce Development." The purpose of "workforce development" is to assist eligible Native Americans in resolving impacting economic impediments, to develop initial capacity, receive essential direct/indirect support for eventual procurement and maintenance of unsubsidized contemporary employment. Within the previously illustrated context, our workforce development approach includes, but is not limited to: Provision of allowable opportunity to eligible Native Americans to pursue and acquire contemporary postsecondary academic/vocational education, adult basic education, customized/short-term job training, on-the-job training, work experience training, supportive services assistance, 'information and referral', etc. In support of these concentrated efforts, subordinate activities include: Pre-employment education and training; Remedial training; Job development, procurement and placement; Incumbent worker training/retraining and; Provision of supportive/follow-up assistance. In compliance with annuall reporting requirements, our PY '15 Fort Peck Tribal P. L. 102-477 narrative report has been drafted is presented and summarized in the following "Adult, Youth and Other" categorical components: ADULT: This portion of our P. L. 102-477 annual narrative report briefly summarizes and conveys adolescent progress achieved during our PY '14 program operational year: Page 05 of35 Comprehensive Services Program (CSP) component. 1. Economic Development: Primarily as a result of the U. S. Government's geographical positioning of the area in extremely isolated Northeast Montana, the undeveloped and dependent status of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation economy and livelihood have been and remain largely contingent on agricultural production and indigenous resource development. Within this scenario, hydrocarbon based Tribal natural resource development, impacted by regional development, have created unpredictable "boom and bust" cycles which resonate daily throughout the Tribal economy. Virtually all of the associated raw Tribal outputs are not internally utilized and, therefore, marketed off the Reservation. From these transactions, the Fort Peck Reservation economy is, for the most part, classified as natural resource based, export driven and significantly impacted by external transaction (ie., global economics, energy pricing and governmental policy) over which the Tribes have not control. For example, when external demand for Fort Peck exports decline, scarce employment opportunities are forfeited, Tribal and personal income diminishes, spending decreased and negatively associated "multiplier" effects become prevalent. Thus the demand for Fort Peck Indian Reservation resources reciprocally impacts wealth and other lesser but equally important Native American entrepreneurial transactions/aspirations. Also, due to previously successful and non-invigorated Fort Peck Tribal contract product manufacturing activities with the U. S. Government-a proven and extremely important Tribal economic segment-the Reservation's inferior economic difficulties are compounded by excess capacity, idle resources and other depressing indicators. From this additional transaction, the foundational Page 06 of 35 Fort Peck Indian Reservation economy is also classified as supplier-and not "demand" driven. In addition, the unproductive Fort Peck Tribal economy possesses excessive and undeveloped labor capacity, excessive joblessness, scarcity of capital, is confronted by low wages and shortage of meaningful employment opportunity. Furthermore, the Fort Peck Tribes are not properly integrated into the thriving local, regional, domestic and worldwide economies. The Fort Peck Indian Reservation's contemporary strategic economic development process serves to identify, inventory and feasibly apply tangible and non-tangible resources, both 'Trust' and 'Tribally owned', to produce marketable good and services. To stimulate this effort, identification
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