(WASHINGTON) – Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Chairwoman Candace Schmidt was at the White House Wednesday, November 15, 2023 to participate in the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Communities in Action” event, focusing on federal investment in the states of Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Chairwoman Schmidt shared with White House officials how federal investment in Nebraska and Indian Country is benefiting Tribal Members by better connecting and protecting their communities.
“For more than 30 years, since our restoration by the federal government, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska has steadily rebuilt our tribal rolls, slowly reclaimed our native land by repurchasing it and invested in critical services our Members deserve,” said Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Chairwoman Candace Schmidt. “I appreciate the White House’s invitation to share how federal investment is benefiting our community. As a Tribe restored without a settlement, federal infrastructure dollars are critical to connect our people – both through safe and reliable transportation channels, and by connecting our people digitally through high-speed internet that will allow them to learn and access Tribal services, like health care, job training and cultural preservation. Further, funding for flood mitigation efforts will protect our people, land, crops, and our sacred buffalo in the Missouri River Basin.”
The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska has a 15-county service delivery area, which spans portions of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. The Tribe maintains offices in Lincoln, Neb., Niobrara, Neb., Norfolk, Neb., Omaha (Ralston), Neb. and Sioux City, Iowa.
According to the White House, nearly $1.3 billion in federal funding has been announced for 127 infrastructure projects across Nebraska. This includes:
- $67 million in levee repairs in the Missouri River Basin announced by the Army Corps of Engineers
- Investments to better-protect smaller communities from extreme flooding, like what the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska has experienced in recent years in Niobrara, Neb.
- Three formula grant opportunities totaling more than $1.1 million for rural areas and Tribal Transit through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska operates the Ponca Express transportation service, which is available to both Tribal Members and the general public