Building critical infrastructure
Meeting basic needs
Creating a healthy local economy
Creating safe places
for kids and developing
youth leadership
Improving educational
opportunities
Preserving Native
language and culture
Protecting the
environment and
increasing eco-tourism
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Building critical infrastructure
NiiJii and our partners have built or renovated 20 buildings (including health facilities, judicial facilities, higher
education facilities, public offices, community centers and retail space), improved three facilities (cultural heritage,
pollution reduction and cleanup, water/drainage),
rehabilitated 193 houses, constructed three industrial
parks and 408 new wastewater hookups, installed eight
new municipal water and sewer systems, constructed
three playgrounds and improved seven streets or
sidewalks, 46 miles of roads and five miles of trails.
Meeting basic needs
- NiiJii is coordinating mortgage programs with the
Menominee Tribal Housing Department to provide
down payment assistance and increase access to
affordable housing.
- We are supporting creation of the Mole Lake Health Clinic.
- NiiJii provided seed funding for creation of the
Minobimaadiziwin Wellness Center which helps
residents in Lac du Flambeau prioritize a healthy lifestyle and recover from substance abuse, obesity and diabetes. A
comprehensive Medical Center is also being developed.
- NiiJii helped to establish the Mole Lake Elder's Center.
- NiiJii is supporting the creation of community gardens which provide access to affordable, healthy food.
- NiiJii funded training for Mole Lake's volunteer firefighters and is supporting Disaster Preparedness Planning.
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Creating a healthy local economy
- NiiJii programs have created or retained 2,388 jobs. The impact is significant on the three-Reservation Enterprise
Community, which has a total of 6,612 residents.
- NiiJii provides comprehensive business development support to Native entrepreneurs. In an average year, NiiJii helps
start 19 new businesses and expand another 34.
- NiiJii established an independent Community
Development Financial Institution to expand loan
capital for Native businesses. By 2007 the Fund had
provided 11 loans for $130,000 with all payments
current.
- NiiJii funded the feasibility study and enabled access
to federal funds for Menominee College's Forest
Products Lab, a partnership with UW-Madison which
will serve as a national model for university/federal
partnerships with land grant universities, Native
Nations and forestland owners.
- NiiJii provided seed funding to Menominee Tribal
Enterprises to research expansion of value added
production in forest products and enabled access to
federal funding.
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Creating safe places for kids and developing youth leadership
- The Lakeland Union High School Intercultural Leadership Initiative Transition Day Program brings together Native
and non-Native students to bridge cultural differences and build self-esteem amongst 8th graders. A dialog between
schools has been established on such issues as discipline, substance abuse and common curriculum.
- The Mole Lake Youth Initiative includes peer mentoring, parental involvement programs, leadership, cultural and
entrepreneurial development. Grades, attendance and rates of school completion have improved dramatically amongst
participants. The Initiative also resulted in a permanent youth center at the Boys and Girls Club of the Sokaogon
Chippewa Community.
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Improving educational opportunities
- NiiJii helped to access funding for Menominee College's expansion. The number of students graduating has increased
each year since 1992. The proportion of the Menominee population that has attained college degrees has increased
from 7% to 16%. The number of Certified Licensed Native American Teachers has increased by 11%. NiiJii also
funded rehabilitation of East-West College.
- NiiJii assisted in the conversion of a vacant smoke
shop to a multi-purpose Center for Adult Education in
Lac du Flambeau.
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Preserving Native language and culture
- NiiJii is preserving Native languages (Ojibwe and
Menominee) through tapes, manuals, classes and
language camps for adults and youth.
- NiiJii is supporting the restoration of key historic
sites, including Mole Lake Dinesen House and Lac du
Flambeau BIA Boys Dormitory, which educate
people on cultural practices (beading, music, food,
etc.) and history (such as the attempt to eliminate
Native culture by "re-educating" children).
- NiiJii is helping to establish the Menominee Cultural
Museum and has funded cultural preservation
activities such as workshops on traditional uses of
forest products and facilities for local artists to teach,
share and sell traditional crafts.
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Protecting the environment and increasing eco-tourism
- NiiJii played a critical role in the successful effort to protect the Wolf River against the environmental threat of mining
by supporting public documentaries and broadcasts on the value of the cultural resources protected.
- NiiJii is working with site partners to create a multi-purpose recreation trail system in the Lac du Flambeau area.
- NiiJii supported development of environmental sciences curriculum and Native cultural curriculum in local schools.
- NiiJii's Americorps* VISTAs worked with residents to complete neighborhood beautification projects that generated
neighborhood pride and supported tourism development.
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