This story was originally published by Undark
and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
On a blustery October afternoon at the Wolfcrow Bison Ranch in southern Alberta, Canada, Dan Fox and his ranch hand, Man Blackplume, tried to wrestle fence panels into place despite a 60 mph wind. The next day was weaning day and the fence needed to be rock solid so the bison calves could be separated from their mothers.
The two members of the Kainai First Nation, also known as the Blood Tribe, braced their bodies against the 12-foot-high fence panels so they could nail them to the posts, but the panels flapped in the wind like giant wooden flags. Across the pasture, 30 bison stood huddled together in the corner, unfazed by the commotion. They were part of the first bison herd to grace the Blood Reserve in 150 years, Fox says. The Kainai First Nation is one of four tribal groups within the Blackfoot Confederacy, which includes the Blackfeet Tribe in Montana.
New funds to bring Fort Peck wellness center project across the finish line
Tribune Staff
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A new wellness center on the Fort Peck Reservation has received about $5 million in funding that will help bring the 20-year project across the finish line, according to a news release. The project is expected to be complete by January 2022.
Financing for the $23 million wellness center came through investment from the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes and New Markets Tax Credits from Missoula-based community development lender, MoFi.
Jackie Weeks, tribal operations officer for the Fort Peck Tribes, said the funding provided the bridge . to complete the project.
Wellness Center being built on Fort Peck Reservation
JGA Architects
By: MTN News
and last updated 2021-05-19 15:14:09-04
GREAT FALLS â Work is underway on a $23 million Wellness Center in Poplar.
A news release
from MoFi this week says that the facility will address a disparity in life expectancy among members of the Fort Peck Tribes, and received funding through the Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) program.
Construction on the 50,000-square-foot facility began in June 2020 and is expected to be complete in early 2022.
The center is being designed to promote health through every stage of life, providing services for healthcare, physical fitness, childcare, and cultural arts and education. The new center is expected to create 70 full-time equivalent jobs with benefits, many of which will be available to low-income people.