HIGH PRIORITY INITIATIVES

To continue the arduous process of transitioning from “reservation” to “Nation”, we seek to accomplish the following high priority initiatives that will build needed assets within the community:

Priority 1: Build Piikani Lodge Health Institute Regenerative Research and Training Center

The creation of PLHI as a physical space will act as an activity hub for economic, ecological, and health research and programming to advance defined goals of the regional food and agricultural industry.

Priority 2: Build the Blackfeet Multispecies Processing Plant

The development a multi-species processing facility for ownership by Blackfeet Nation Stockgrowers, along with establishing an agricultural cooperative and Confederate-wide beef label are two key steps to strengthen community economics and health.

Priority 3: Restoration of Traditional Round Houses

Round Houses were places where community members would gather to receive and share information, make collective decisions, and strengthen relationships, of which the restoration will reclaim the value of thousands of generations of Blackfeet interdependent, interconnected collectivistic culture and reinforce Piikani political will.

Priority 4: Multi-family Substance Abuse Treatment Housing

Families require safe, non-clinical spaces where true healing can take place through traditional and western methods for substance abuse reduction and return to healthy, whole ways of living.

Priority 5: Piikani WISE Data and Decision Support Solution

Piikani WISE will at once address shortages in rural data management and IT and aid in Tribal organization decision support across agencies including directing investments towards promising ventures.

UPPER FLOOR

-Computer lab job skills training center

-PLHI offices and meeting spaces

-Agriculture resource library and planning spaces for accessing agricultural programming

-Work space to support farmer/ rancher management planning and peer-to-peer learning

-Community kitchen

-Elder knowledge sharing spaces

Piikani Lodge Center Main Building

A Space For Sovereign Community Decision Making

This is what our ~2000 sq. foot PLHI central building could look like. It will serve as an anchor for PLHI programming and the Piikani community. The building will fill vital needs for community event space, basic job skills trainings, community-led agricultural trainings, indigenous-led research, PLHI central offices, and community drop-in for resources in agriculture, heath and well being. While this layout is one viable option for our program needs, once we have aquired a site we will expand our architectural process to design a site and a building most specifically suited to the needs of PLHI and the community we serve.

ENTRY FLOOR

-Open and flexible community gathering and training spaces

-AV technology for presentations

-Activity space for programs in cultural health and well being

-Space for larger equipment training including vet. tech. programs, small on-farm infrastructure training, and other programming

-Year round indoor technical programs and equipment storage