The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Last month, Colette Werk, who works in the Fort Belknap Environmental Protection Department, received notification from the Montana Native Plant Society (MNPS) that the Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) will be the benefactors of a $1500 grant as a result of the Environmental Protection Department's successful grant proposal: Revitalizing Sweetgrass for the Fort Belknap Indian Community.

The FBIC proposal was selected for funding by the MNPS Board of Directors after receiving recommendations from the Small Grants Committee. The Chair of that committee, Betty Kuropat reported that MNPS received and reviewed sixteen proposals. Among those were proposals that presented unique ideas for native plant scientific research, education, gardens, and habitat restoration.

"As always, selecting which proposals to fund was a tough decision for our review committee of six people," Kuropat explained. "Based on the committee's recommendations, our Board of Directors approved funding for only four grants. One, as you know, is Revitalizing Sweetgrass for the Fort Belknap Indian Community. We have criteria against which each proposal is rated on a point system. Then, the committee members' individual ratings are combined and the projects ranked."

According to Kuropat, several aspects of the FBIC Revitalizing Sweetgrass project stood out for the MNPS. "First, the project features both a native plant and a native people's restoration plan. We like the aspect of using plants and the traditions with plants to restore culture and community and we like that it will involve the community, especially children. As one committee member said, 'This is not just another native garden.' To my knowledge, this is the first grant proposal we have received from a Montana Indian tribe. That alone set it apart from most of the garden and restoration projects we've considered. It seems well planned, has a monitoring and follow-up plan, and demonstrates partnerships and collaboration. These are all important criteria. As with every garden, restoration, and native planting we have funded, we have concerns about weed management, long-term maintenance, and commitment. Once planted, native plantings need care and commitment, just like any other landscape," Kuropat concluded.

In a letter dated March 12, Werk received congratulations from Kuropat on the FBIC's successful proposal. "We look forward to your report after the first year and hope your project is successful enough for you to continue into the future. We'll be interested in the viability and sustainability of the plantings as well as the methods and success of the education component," Kuropat wrote.

Although Werk was the primary author of the grant proposal, she humbly credited others who assisted in this endeavor. She extended extra gratitude to Hillary Maxwell, MSU-Extension agent for the Fort Belknap Reservation, who read the draft proposal and provided revision feedback.

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) will purchase their sweetgrass for the revitalization project from Prairie Moon Nursey, a nursery located in Winona, Minnesota, and dedicated to providing native plants for gardening and restoration.

The EPD chose Prairie Moon because their plants are typically well-rooted and transit-ready in early May.

Although sweetgrass prefers rich, moist soils, it will grow in almost any soil that receives a minimum of a half day of sun. The EPD has selected two different planting locations. One will be the Hays community garden, which will provide a source that can be used year after year. The second spot, according to Werk, will be near the beaver dams in Mission Canyon.

Because some small movements of sweetgrass revitalization already exist on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, these two locations will join others. Werk reports that the idea is to someday have a self-sustainable source; in other words, enough sweetgrass for all of the community members who want to harvest it for themselves.

The Aaniiih and Nakoda people consider sweetgrass a sacred plant, using it in prayer, smudging, and purifying ceremonies or presenting the braids as gifts. Strands of the three-foot long, sweet-smelling grass are usually braided, dried, and burned. These braids smolder when burned, producing an incense-like smoke and a pleasant aroma, which is used not only to cleanse the self and to prepare a ceremonial setting but to attract good spirits and positive energies.

Once nursery stock is purchased so that a sustainable plot of sweetgrass can get established, any remaining grant monies will be applied to other expenses. "In the grant budget, we also factored in travel to the planting sites and supplies like fencing materials," Werk said.

In fulfilling another purpose of the grant, to educate the public about the values of sweetgrass, Werk said the EPD plans to erect informational signs and announcements so the areas where the plants will be growing are protected from heavy foot traffic. Once the plants are mature enough, the EPD also plans to hold a community sweetgrass braiding session.

"We have a lot of partners-such as MSU-Extension, Fort Belknap Tribal Historical Preservation Office, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Western Agricultural Research, Indian Nations Conservation Alliance, Nakoda Aaniiih Economic Development Corporation, and Fort Belknap Fish and Wildlife Department-all of whom will benefit from this grant. I know they all would like to see this project become successful as a way for us at Fort Belknap to be self-sufficient, self-sustainable, and proving our self-determination, while getting back to our traditional roots, literally," Werk stated.

The Fort Belknap Environmental Protection Department will be purchasing their plants from Prairie Moon Nursery. Sweetgrass is an aromatic, cool-season perennial growing 10-24 inches in height and spreading about two feet per year by underground rhizomes.

Each year, the Montana Native Plant Society (MNPS), which is headquartered in Missoula, awards small grants to stimulate research, conservation, and educational activities that foster an appreciation for Montana's native plants and plant communities. These grants are intended to promote native plant conservation through better understanding of Montana's native flora and the factors affecting their survival. Applications for the Small Grants Program are due every year on January 31.

Although project or study proposals must pertain to native plants of Montana, preference is given to proposals that generate research data or public support that advances the conservation of native plants in the wild and that demonstrate initiative and cooperation with other organizations or agencies.

Grant monies are made available in two equal installments, with the first going out upon acceptance of the grant award. Within one year, successful applicants are also required to submit a final report in the form of an article for the MNPS newsletter Kelseya. This article serves to document the study or project accomplishments for both MNPS and its newsletter readers.

Anyone with questions about the Revitalizing Sweetgrass for the Fort Belknap Indian Community project is encouraged to call the Fort Belknap Environmental Protection Department at 406-353-8416.