Intertribal Life Newspaper -

ADDISON, Texas-Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA), a nonprofit committed to serving immediate needs and supporting long-term solutions for Native Americans living in reservation communities, has announced new initiatives to help communities on the Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River and Crow Creek reservations in South Dakota be better prepared when an emergency strikes.

"More than 90,000 Native Americans in the U.S. are homeless, and 40 percent of Native Americans live in substandard, overcrowded housing, especially on the economically distressed reservations PWNA serves," said Robbi Rice Dietrich, CEO of PWNA.

PWNA will advance emergency preparedness in tribal communities through training, networked collaboration and access to resources. Specific objectives include:

• Expanding preparedness projects underway on the Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River reservations

• Extending preparedness projects to Crow Creek Reservation in the Northern Plains

• Developing an emergency preparedness model curriculum and resource guide based on key success factors relevant to tribal communities

• Developing a "cultural sensitivity" curriculum for other relief organizations able to provide disaster and emergency services to tribal communities

• Addressing training needs for Native case managers and disaster recovery teams to assist with long-term recovery efforts in tribal communities

These new initiatives are made possible through a grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

PWNA is a nonprofit committed to championing hope for Native Americans living on remote, geographically isolated and often impoverished reservations. Established in 1990, PWNA collaborates with reservation programs to serve immediate needs and support long-term solutions for strong, self-sufficient Native American communities, improving the lives of 250,000 Native Americans annually.