The Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians has become the first tribe to win a federal Promise Neighborhood grant, which aims to transform distressed communities by funding “great schools and strong systems of family and community support,” according to the website.
In the process, northern California’s Corning-Paskenta community has pointed the path for other native communities, showing how local tribes can bring momentum to solutions-oriented thinking.
The Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians is a federally-recognized sovereign nation in Northern California with a deep tradition of resiliency, revitalized culture and a strong vision for the future.
Members of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians have lived in Northern California for generations, in what is now called Tehama and Glenn counties. Paskenta lands lie between Red Bluff, California, and Stoney Creek, California, west of the Sacramento River.
There were two major divisions of Nomlaki Indians in California: the Hill Nomlaki and the River Nomlaki. The Paskenta Band is Hill Nomlaki. The River Nomlaki occupied the territory east of the Hill Nomlaki in the Sacramento River Valley in present-day Tehama County.
Now, the United States Department of Education has awarded $2.7 million to the Paskenta Band – one of six groups to win this round of Promise Neighborhood funding. The group has also raised $1.4 million in local matching funds.
First launched in 2010, Promise Neighborhood grants are inspired by the Harlem Children’s Zone, which offers holistic support to students ranging from anti-poverty programs to health care.
See full Christian Science Monitor by Stacy Teicher Khadaroo.