Maliseets land $1.7M for Maine tribes

By Karen Donato
Staff Writer
    “I think we can, I think we can”, may have been the words that grant-writer Rosa McNally said to her support team as she laid the groundwork for the grant application for $1.7 million available though the U.S. Department of Education. This grant provides funding for the Maliseets, MicMacs, Passamaquoddy tribes of Princeton and Perry and the Penobscot tribe.  
Pioneer Times photo/Karen Donato
HARD WORK PAYS OFF — Grant writer, Rosa McNally, left and Maliseet Chief Brenda Commander were notified that five Maine tribes would benefit from a $1.7 million dollar grant over a five year period from the U. S. Department of Education. This grant will provide services for vocational rehabilitation services for American Indians with disabilities. Houlton was one of the two recipients in the country.
    Applications were received from all over the United States and Maine was one of two selected. The resources will provide vocational rehabilitation services for American Indians with disabilities. It is a five-year grant, with an initial award of  $327,914 the first year.
    McNally said that without the support of Chief Brenda Commander and the tribal board consisting of: Tina Beaver, Sandra Hayes, Michael Kelley, Linda Raymond, Gloria Tomah and Joshua Toner this may not have happened. She also stated that Arthur Jacobson, the assistant director for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for the state of Maine, was immensely supportive.
    Adam Fisher, assistant to the commissioner stated that his department was very happy to be part of assisting with this grant and that it will allow them to expand their services to the tribal nation. They will reach a population that hasn’t had the access to certain services, in order to gain employment and have career goals.
    As a newly hired employee in January of this year, McNally remembers staying at her office during the many snowstorms to ‘plow’ through the mountain of paperwork. Her days turned into evenings and sometimes weekends, too. They were already three months late getting started on the paperwork and had missed an initial workshop. However, she had great determination and the, “I think we can” turned into “I know we can”.
    The tribe saw a need to pursue other sources of funding when the state was unable to provide the cultural component as part of the rehabilitation service to Native Americans. With this grant the consumers will be getting the best possible care. Counselors will draw from the client’s background and be able to provide other avenues for healing. Through this cultural piece the patient gains respect for one’s self and their community.
    The funds from the grant will create four new positions at the Maliseet Tribal office on Bell Road in Littleton. There will be a director, an administrative assistant and two rehabilitation counselors. Each tribe will designate space for the counselors and job coaches to conduct their services. They will travel to those locations as needed. It will be once a week to start, with the possibility of increasing the time as needed.  
    One goal of the program is to be able to place rehabilitated patients into new careers where they can become self-sustaining individuals. The employment will reduce dependency on disability benefits, and give the consumer a sense of value and equality with other American Indians.
    During the grant writing process, McNally and her group used many resources including information from state representatives, workshops through the University of San Diego and the University of Arizona. They also received technical assistance from a partnership called, Capacity Building. McNally just returned from Portland, Ore. where she attended a workshop on administering the grant.
    The program should be in place by Jan. 1, 2009.