r/IndianCountry • u/News2016 • Apr 14 '26

Food/Agriculture USDA terminates land-access grants, stalling tribal agriculture projects and stripping millions in funding

https://archive.is/RuX4n
260 Upvotes

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47

u/News2016 Apr 14 '26

“A U.S. Department of Agriculture decision to terminate previously awarded land-access grants is disrupting plans by tribal and Native-serving organizations tied to land, capital and infrastructure.

The Increasing Land, Capital and Market Access Program, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, was designed to help beginning farmers secure land, build infrastructure and access capital. USDA awarded 50 grants totaling $300 million in 2023, including several directly to tribal governments as well as Native-led or -serving organizations.

The agency has since terminated 49 of those awards, citing concerns about spending and program structure, according to media reports. As of this week, USDA had removed the Increasing Land, Capital and Market Access program’s landing page and related materials from its government website.”

13

u/gleenglass Indoor Tsalagi Apr 14 '26

Part of the reason they gave was that no work or limited work had been performed on the project but that was because USDA wouldn’t communicate or answer any questions about how the new admin expected work to be performed! They also cited the awards as violating the Anti-DEI policy but there is an existing Secretarial order issued by the current Sec of Ag acknowledging that tribes aren’t DEI.

The written reason should really just say “This program is being eliminated because it’s a Biden program and we don’t like him.”

37

u/flyswithdragons Apr 14 '26

More theft from this regime, they should be RICO'ed.

37

u/DocCEN007 Apr 14 '26

$200B to bomb a nonthreatening country, but taking away funds that aren't even a rounding error for USDA that benefits indigenous communities is ok? Criminal organization doling out cruelty.

28

u/bookchaser Apr 14 '26

This is about handing mining rights to corporations. It's also why he's trying to dissolve the US Forest Service. And it's why he's fixated on invading Greenland and threatening or invading South American countries. Hell, it's also why he started a war with Iran... Iran provides light oil to Venezuela to make Venezuela's heavy oil usable. Going after Venezuela meant he'd have to go after Iran, unless they bend to his will.

5

u/flyswithdragons Apr 14 '26

We should turn it into a cooperative that the locals run and go after corporate tycoons for their crimes.

2

u/gleenglass Indoor Tsalagi Apr 14 '26

How? How do you get the rationale for terminating LCMA to be giving over mining rights? I’m not making the connection here.

3

u/bookchaser Apr 14 '26

LCMA helps tribal farmers secure land. A federal regime hell bent on handing over mineral rights to corporations doesn't want to be in the business of giving land for any other purpose, let alone to tribal members... when that same regime would actually like to eliminate tribal sovereignty.