Fort Washakie, WY – The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) announced today that it was one of six organizations in the country to be selected as an awardee under the Economic Development Administration’s Recompete Pilot Program. WRDF, the lead applicant, and its four co-applicants will receive $36 million over five years to fund innovative and Indigenous-based economic development strategies on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The four co-applicants include the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative, Wind River Food Sovereignty Project, and Central Wyoming College. WRDF’s Recompete application – Creating a Sustainable, Indigenous-Based Economy in Wind River – proposed nine interconnected projects to strengthen Native sovereignty while simultaneously creating an equitable, economy in the region.
In December 2023, EDA announced 22 Recompete Finalists, selected out of 565 applications—the highest number of applications to any national EDA program. The Finalists represent urban, rural, and Tribal communities spanning 20 states and territories. The Finalists identified an integrated set of projects to improve their communities through workforce training, wraparound services, critical infrastructure, entrepreneurship, small business supports, and governance – each informed by, and tailored to, local needs.
Paul F. Huberty, Executive Director of the Wind River Development Fund and a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe (Anishinaabe), said, “Almost a year ago, community members from across the region began thinking about how to create new economic opportunities that benefited everyone and that were uniquely designed to address the persistent economic distress on the Reservation. In our application, we told a story about the longstanding economic and systemic barriers facing Indian Country, and we proposed unique solutions that will strengthen Native sovereignty while rebuilding equitable economies based on our cultural values. We are so happy that the Economic Development Administration heard our story and that they are partnering with us on this new path forward.”
The $36 million implementation grant will fund two new construction projects, including a 14,400-sq-ft Tribal Buffalo Center at the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative and a new 5,900-sq-ft office/museum and 7,200-sq-ft storage facility for Tribal Fish and Game as part of a broader ecotourism strategy. In addition, funding will support a new Native-focused workforce development program on the Reservation, expanded health care services and increased access to healthy, Indigenous-based foods, land planning, and grant implementation.
“This grant creates an opportunity to build into our vision for buffalo, to restore our cultural connections, nutrition, and create educational and academic experiences for youth and community members,” said Jason Baldes, Executive Director of the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative and a member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe. “Buffalo restoration is eco-cultural restoration, and important for sharing with visitors, to understand about our history and contemporary efforts to protect what we have left, and this grant will help us tell our story.”
Erika Yarber, Director of Business Development at WRDF and a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, added, “This award is an immense opportunity to generate economic development and I am proud of the work our conscientious leaders put into this project. These leaders have dedicated their lives to building robust organizations, which strive to help our people and our Tribes. From an economic development standpoint, we have identified an effective ecosystem, and through our Indigenous Sovereignty Framework, we will continue to strengthen that ecosystem. By thinking big, combining efforts, and working as a unified front, this award will support the preservation and management of our land, continue the repatriation of our buffalo, grow a resilient food system, and build a healthier workforce.”
The Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete) is a key part of the Biden-Harris Investing in America agenda. The program was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act and targets areas where prime-age (25-54 years) employment is significantly lower than the national average, with the goal of closing this gap through flexible, locally-driven investments.
“For decades, too many communities all over America have been overlooked or left behind without the resources and investments needed to compete. But under the Biden-Harris Administration, we’re reversing that trend. With the Recompete program, we are investing and empowering people across the country by helping them get trained for and placed into quality jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Recompete program isn’t just an investment in American jobs or American workers, it’s an investment in communities that will allow local economies to grow and Americans to pursue quality careers in the places they call home.”
“We are so thankful for the more than 30 organizations that directly participated in our planning sessions, provided expert advice, supported our application and its development, and provided philanthropic funds,” said Huberty. “This award reflects an entire community coming together.”
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Wind River Development Fund is a non-profit, Native Community Development Financial Institution located in Fort Washakie, WY. The mission of the Wind River Development Fund is to provide financial opportunities to stimulate economic development on the Reservation, to promote self-sufficiency, self-determination, and an enhanced quality of life for the Reservation community.