MSU Extension Tribal Extension

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College 
Bay Mills Community College
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College
Michigan State University Extension

The MILES is the next step in building the foundation for a seamless, integrated, and intentional Land Grant System in Michigan serving all Michigan Tribal Nations and communities. The integrated system includes the four Land Grant Institutions (1862 and three 1994s) in Michigan. This will also include the 12 federally recognized Tribes as partners and Nations that we as land grant institutions have a responsibility to be responsive to. The existing integrated Land Grant collaboration between Bay Mills Community College
and Michigan State University Extension, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and community partners is serving the Bay Mills Indian Community very well, and has produced a template for expanded and impactful involvement with all Tribal Nations and communities in Michigan – this is precisely the model of integrated and sustained 1862/1994 collaboration that the leadership at NIFA has been working to establish.
Goals of MILES include:

• Addressing programmatic and research requests in the areas of:
  • Agriculture
  • Tribal Youth and Leadership
  • Leadership Development
  • Conservation of Natural Resources and Land Issues
  • Family and Consumer Science, Health & Nutrition
  • Economic Development
• Increased input from Michigan tribal nations with regard to educational programming
  efforts.
• Input from Michigan tribal nations regarding research needs.
• Increased collaborative scholarship with Michigan tribal nations and MSU Extension.
• A clear message that MSU Extension staff are supported and encouraged to continue building
  relationships, dedicating time and effort in programming with tribal nations and
  communities
• The recognition that tribal nations are self-governing and that no matter
  population/resources, the government to government relationship will be honored.
• Action plans

The first two years of this effort were partially funded by Extension-Special Emphasis funds
which included communication and education efforts, relationship building, formalizing the
Indian Country Land Grant team, hosting initial Michigan Tribal Land Grant summits, and
initiating more programming with Tribal communities. The MILES initiative was submitted as
an Extension-Special Emphasis proposal by Bay Mills Community College (1994 Land Grant) in
collaboration with Michigan State University Extension (1862 partner).