BBNC Education Foundation

Cultural Heritage Program

Cultural Heritage and Native Place Names Grants

The Cultural Heritage Program offers two grant programs that are available online through the Survey Monkey Apply Platform which can be accessed by clicking here. If you are having difficulty accessing our online application and need assistance, please contact the BBNC Education Foundation (BBNCEF) at bbncef@bbnc.net or (907) 265-7852. Please check out the guidelines by clicking here (also found at the bottom of this page under “Related Items”), to see if your organization is eligible.

Piniq’ Grant & Native Place Names Grant Programs

BBNCEF’s core purpose is to build and maintain “connections to our past and invest in our future.” To achieve this purpose, we administer two grant programs: the Piniq’ Grant Program and the Native Place Names Grant Program. Grant awards that are $8,000 and under can be reviewed and approved internally and typically takes about two weeks. Grant awards $8,001 and over are reviewed and approved by the BBNCEF Board of Directors at quarterly board meetings. Eligible entities are welcome and encouraged to submit a proposal for consideration. The guidelines for our program can be found by clicking here and are also at the bottom of this page under “Related Items.”

The Piniq’ and Native Place Name Grants are available online through our Portal on SurveyMonkey Apply, which can be found by clicking here or the button below. For those who cannot access our online application or need assistance, we will work with you – please contact BBNCEF at bbncef@bbnc.net or (907) 265-7852. We also fund entities located outside of Bristol Bay! Please check out the guidelines by clicking here (also found at the bottom of this page under “Related Items”), to see if your organization is eligible.

At any time during the application process, you are welcome and encouraged to contact BBNCEF with questions or for additional assistance. We can be reached at bbncef@bbnc.net or (907) 265-7852. You can also access the grant application platform directly by clicking here. If you are unable to apply online, please contact our office and we can email or fax you an application.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY ONLINE

Piniq’ Grant Program

Piniq’ (Pi·niq’): Yugtun (verb) Definition of Piniq’ – strength; power # Tauna Piniqerkauluku man’a qanruyun. ‘That instruction will be our sources of strength,’ (YUP 2005:20); direct nominalization of pinir – ,” no matter the obstacle, resilient, supportive community, empowering our people.”

The Piniq’ Grant Program supports projects and activities that are focused on: (1) Preservation, practice and teaching Native languages of Bristol Bay; (2) Native knowledge, history, skills and practices; and (3) Cultural activities, traditions, subsistence, traditional arts and crafts, dance, history. Activities that promote and preserve the Cultural Heritage of Bristol Bay strengthen our people, communities and region, which is why we named this the Piniq’ Grant Program.

Native Place Names Grant Program

The Native Place Names Grant Program supports projects and activities by organizations focused on (1) Documentation of traditional names of Bristol Bay communities, rivers, lakes, mountains, hills, bays, beaches and other physical features and (2) Stories, oral histories, research and pronunciations of traditional places.

Related Items

Grant Programs Guidelines

Download a copy of the Cultural Heritage Program’s Piniq and Native Place Name Grant Guidelines.

Past Grant Award Project Summaries

Download and review a list of project descriptions for previous grant recipients through the Cultural Heritage and Native Place Names Grant programs.

Cultural Wellness Check

In February 2020, the BBNCEF Board of Directors requested that staff conduct a needs assessment to guide the development of a ten-year strategic plan for the Cultural Heritage portfolio. The needs assessment, also called Cultural Wellness Check, included key informant…Read More

Bristol Bay Language Summit Report

In May 2022, BBNCEF convened its first Bristol Bay Language Summit at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. They gathered Alutiiq, Dena’ina, and Yugtun Elders, speakers, teachers, and learners in Anchorage to connect, discuss, and support existing region-wide efforts in language…Read More