WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that several Maine tribes will receive various grant awards totaling $341,422 to support activities including economic development and treatment and prevention services for methamphetamine abuse and suicide. The grants come from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“We welcome these investments by the federal government in Maine’s tribal communities, which will help support important wellness programs and continued economic development moving forward” said Senators Collins and King in a statement.

The Penobscot Indian Nation has been awarded $45,500 by the EDA to fund private capital investments and job creation on the Penobscot Indian Island Reservation in eastern Maine. This EDA planning investment supports the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS). The CEDS process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.

The Aroostook Band of Micmacs and the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township have each been awarded grants to support substance abuse programs as part of the Methamphetamine and Suicide Prevention Initiative (MSPI). MSPI is an HHS program that promotes the use of community-based, culturally-appropriate prevention and treatment approaches to methamphetamine abuse and suicide prevention. The Aroostook Band of Micmacs will receive $50,000 and the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township will receive $75,000 through the program.

Additionally, the Aroostook Band of Micmacs has been awarded a $170,922 grant from the Administration for Native Families, a sub-agency of HHS, to support sustainable employment and economic development.

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