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The Blackfeet Nation is located in northwestern Montana, adjacent to the Canadian border, east of Glacier National Park. At 3,000 square miles, it is larger than the state of Delaware.

Activities

Agriculture is the primary economic industry on the Blackfeet Reservation with some 800 producers managing 1.5 million acres of land. Limited access to credit, capital and lack of a credit history has prevented beginning farmers and ranchers from returning to family farms, which threatens the sustainability of agriculture on the reservation. The extension program offers lifelong learning to individuals through unbiased, research-based education and information that integrates learning, discovery, and engagement. This, in turn, strengthens the social, economic and environmental fabric of the communities.

Highlights

As farmers and ranchers age, it is becoming more important for Blackfeet youth to acquire the knowledge about agriculture and natural resource programs that will help them to be successful farmers and ranchers in the future. Extension specialists are an integral part of that educational process, providing research-based knowledge to an audience who may not otherwise have that learning opportunity. Support from, and engagement with, the tribal government and elders is integral to growing agriculture on the Blackfeet Reservation as is collaboration with the tribal business counsel to help stimulate economic development.

4-H program

The 4-H program was established on the Blackfeet Reservation over 20 years ago and has grown from four participants to more than 100. With the assistance of partners and local volunteers, tribal extension designed 4-H programs that were a good cultural fit. This included the establishment of a unique local fair where every youth’s accomplishments could be recognized. The students soon became more engaged and, as a result, they are staying involved in 4-H through graduation rather than dropping out in middle school.

A valuable resource

FRTEP is considered a valuable, trusted community resource. Community members recognize that the Blackfeet Extension office serves an important function in the community with the capacity to connect people to other programs and services. FRTEP has utilized a dedicated cadre of volunteers who design innovative programs specifically for youth, helping them to forge a connection between the land and its natural resources. These volunteers have managed a natural resource youth camp for the past 16 years.

Montana Junior Ag Loan Program

The Montana Junior Ag Loan Program, administered by the Montana Department of Agriculture, assists and encourages youth and new farmers and ranchers in financing agricultural projects. The program has helped revive agricultural traditions on the Blackfeet Reservation and given participants the opportunity to build their capital and credit. They can continue to borrow through other loan programs such as the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI’s). Many have built up their cattle herds and collateral and have been able to establish cattle operations. Several participants have used the profits from those operations to fund their college education.

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Located in North Central Montana near the Canadian border, the 675,000-acre Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is home to 7,000 members of the Gros Ventre (Aaniiih) and the Assiniboine (Nakoda) Tribes. The primary industry on the Reservation is agriculture.

Activities

The Fort Belknap FRTEP extension program has operated on the Reservation for more than 30 years and has played an integral role in helping tribal members to acquire skills and knowledge through the program’s education and outreach efforts that serve the needs of families, producers, businesses and industry. The program has more than 40 partnerships with other agencies, specialists and tribal programs.

Highlights

MEASURING IMPACT

• “…the agent got a livestock sale going here….and the main thing is the Ag workshops she brings in during the wintertime for ranchers and farmers to attend, that are good workshops. They’re about financing, and different production methods with good presenters…”

FRTEP programs have had a major impact on individuals, families and tribal communities. Just how much impact has now been quantified thanks to a research project that used Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) and content analysis. The Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILFT) engaged in a joint collaboration with an evaluation team and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center to measure the long-term impacts of the Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program (FRTEP) serving the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. Click the link below to read the report.

Read the report

Healthy lifestyles

Montana State University extension classes in cooking, sewing, gardening and other healthy lifestyle topics are always well-attended. Extension has done produce safety training to help local growers learn good agricultural practices, food safety and environmental management. Direction and resources have been provided to local businesses on planning for healthy lifestyles. As a result of efforts by extension agents, families that previously had little access to vegetables now have more fresh options sold locally.

Food sustainability

Fort Belknap extension’s efforts toward food sustainability have continued to increase in scope and participation. Many more people have started home garden plots, the community gardens are thriving and food preservation programming has been expanded. An effort is under way to develop high-density fruit growing, including apples, grapes, pears and plums. The school has begun work on cultivating a large squash and corn plot. Horticulture training has been popular and young people have received training in safe canning techniques for meat preservation.

Rancher Roundup and Producer Outreach

Fort Belknap extension conducts educational outreach workshops for cattle producers on a variety of topics in conjunction with local agriculture leaders and outside experts. Topics include business management and finance, marketing, farm planning and renewable energy. The goal is to provide producers with opportunities to resolve their everyday challenges and obstacles by providing knowledge and resources that can improve their farming and ranching techniques.

Youth Development

Youth and families have opportunities to participate in learning activities year-round. The Mid-Winter Fair has been held annually for 50 years and it offers youth the opportunity to share their dancing, singing, storytelling, drumming and art. From cooking contests to Fiddle and Jig Night, the Stick Game Tournament and a traditional pow wow, the Fair is a popular event every year.

During the summer the community garden provides opportunities for youth to learn first-hand about agriculture. They participate in cooking classes and also engage in garden tasks through the summer youth employment program. Students in grades 4-6 at the Lodge Pole School participate year-round in 4-H activities which are connected with classroom learning.

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Located in the northeastern corner of Montana about 450 miles from Bozeman, Fort Peck is home to the Assiniboine, Nakota, Lakota and Dakota people. The reservation consists of more than two million acres and is home to about 10,000 residents.

Activities

Agriculture is the primary economic driver on the reservation. Based in Poplar, Fort Peck extension is a collaborative effort between Montana State University, Fort Peck Community College and the Fort Peck Tribes. The primary goal is to address the needs to help sustain traditional Assiniboine and Sioux values and practices. Extension teaches life skills to youth and families, helping to foster healthy communities, schools and families in challenging communities.

Highlights

Youth and family development

Fort Peck Extension serves seven communities across the reservation with a variety of school and community programs and events. From special celebrations such as Christmas, Halloween and Valentine’s to Wild West Days and the Wolf Point Stampede parade, there are numerous opportunities for youth to be involved.

One example is Progressive Agriculture Safety Day. For more than 20 years, this special event has combined education with hands-on activities that help youth learn how to be safe around farm activities. More than 400 students and 60 volunteers participate each year. Topics include safety related to grain, chemicals, water and bicycles, along with first aid. Students receive donated materials such as first aid kits, sunscreen, reflective arm bands, insect repellent and bike helmets. Other 4-H programs include camp, teacher training and 4-H fairs.

Market program for youth

The market program teaches youth how to raise an animal from start to finish. They learn about nutrition, quality assurance, animal welfare, food safety and other related activities. Much of the traditional knowledge about how to dress an animal has been lost. but youth are learning it through this program. Kids learn how to make fresh sausage, jerky, snack sticks and summer sausage. More than 250 participants have completed the course.

Tribal garden and pumpkin patch

The Fort Peck Tribes set aside 99 acres for a garden that is used for educational purposes. It has been used to grow numerous types of vegetables and pumpkins. Seeds and produce has been distributed to the community through the elder program, food bank and the kindergarten pumpkin patch.

Financial literacy program

Dozens of students and adults have completed financial literacy workshops which focus on what credit is, how to obtain it and how to use it positively. Educational games are used to reinforce learning objectives. Participants learn how to create a personal budget as well as how to complete job applications, prepare for interviews and build resumes.

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Located in Northwestern Montana, the Flathead Indian Reservation is the home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and is comprised of the Bitterroot Salish, the Pend d’Oreille and the Kootenai tribes. The reservation consists of 1.3 million acres across parts of four counties.

Activities

From its office in Polson, Flathead Reservation Extension offers programs under a broad umbrella that includes agriculture, family and consumer science, youth programming, and nutrition. Projects are community driven and developed in response to community requests. The goals are to:

• Enhance Tribal member involvement in agriculture with an awareness of environmental stewardship and natural resources.
• Enhance and increase economic opportunities for agricultural producers to improve their quality of life and sustain their ranches and farms.
• Improve the nutrition and health of community members while protecting local food supplies by connecting consumers with local and traditional food sources.
• Help youth develop good decision making and leadership skills, and provide opportunities to improve their technical skills.

Highlights

MEASURING IMPACT

• “…we started out with six little three foot by eight foot raised beds….then expanding…. being able to have something where our goal is working with locally grown foods, working with foods that are indigenous to North America, our food sovereignty [and] teaching people… making it so it’s a life skill with our kiddos and their families.”  “…[the agent] was a huge part of helping [us make] connections to our culture and connections to our plate. …This could not have happened without Tribal extension.”

FRTEP programs have had a major impact on individuals, families and tribal communities. Just how much impact has now been quantified thanks to a research project that used Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) and content analysis. The Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILFT) engaged in a joint collaboration with an evaluation team and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center to measure the long-term impacts of the Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program (FRTEP) serving the Flathead Reservation. Click the link below to read the report.

Read the report

Youth education

Flathead Reservation Extension provides youth education in nutrition, food safety, horticulture, agriculture, natural resources, riparian education, and business. It offers after-school 4-H across the Reservation. 4-H provides research-based educational programming in practical, hands-on ways including natural resource demonstrations, financial education and training, and nutritional education.

Supporting farmers and ranchers

Extension offers education and technical assistance to producers, land managers, and consumers, and offers opportunities to critically evaluate environmental stewardship and resource management techniques with
current and traditional agriculture and food systems.

Cattle producer education

Extension hosts an annual meeting for the more than 160 cattle producers on the reservation. The meeting includes vendors and specialist speakers. Topics are of importance to producers and incorporate their requests for subjects to cover. Recent topics included economic sustainability, animal health and animal identification systems.

Natural Resource Immersion Activities

Extension educators work with local schools to assist with workshops, field trips, and other educational activities. For example, the agent might spend an afternoon in the classroom with 1st grade students followed by a hike in the wilderness the next day where students learn to identify flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees.

Pesticide applicator training

One of the natural resource goals of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes is to control noxious weeds on Indian lands. Nearly half a million acres of tribally owned and managed land on the reservation is infested with noxious weeds. To address the growing need for pesticide
education and integrated noxious weed management, tribal extension has held pesticide education training that covers safe handling and use of pesticides, integrated pest management strategies, and water quality. Attendees become certified and and receive licenses for pest management which enables them to engage in a variety of integrated pest management strategies.

River Honoring

Each spring Flathead Extension hosts the River Honoring where 4th and 5th grade students from the Reservation and beyond gather to learn about the history and personal connection of the people with the Flathead River. Youth also learn about a variety of environmental, health, and cultural topics during the two-day event. Students learn about the water cycle, stream and bank zone vegetation function, fish and wildlife habitat, and livestock and crop production in riparian areas. Using a riparian/erosion trailer as a teaching tool, students compare a well-vegetated stream bank to a stream bank lacking in vegetation, and they witness erosion in progress. Students eagerly accept the challenge to create a healthy meandering stream with vegetation along the banks.

COVID-19 Activities

• Six-class garden series supporting Food Sovereignty and Food Security endeavors
• Start-up of two 4-H Youth Apiary and Value-Added Entrepreneurship.
• Grow-It-Till-U-Make-It garden and food preservation campaign (photo below)

• 4-H Science-On-the-Go bags to help sustain academic learning during the pandemic
• Material for masks purchased and given to 4-H sewing clubs
• Summer MSU Student intern implemented Ag classes for 5th grade and the Teen Center at the Boys & Girls Club
• Development and implementation of a community survey on mental health and the general population’s understanding and definition of mental health, a critical activity as individuals are coping with the impact of COVID-19.
• Continued/additional certifications in Mental Health First Aid
• Research and policy writing supporting diversity in Montana 4-H Positive Youth Development Programming with focus on ethnic equality and the LGBTQ community.
•  4-H National Mentoring Program activities include mailings of weekly fun, encouraging, and educational packages or postcards to mentees through the end of the school year.
• Teaching in the Boys & Girls Clubs to maintain contact with mentees who also participate in Club programming.
• SNAP-Ed – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education activities included adult outreach on cooking and nutrition lessons, physical exercise demonstrations, and education about farmers markets.
• Youth outreach to Boys & Girls Club participants in grades 3-6 with the “Choose Health, Food, Fun and Fitness” (CHEF) curriculum.