| Fort Belknap College will use its Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCU) grant to design and construct a Gros Ventre and Assiniboine cultural center on the Fort Belknap campus. This center will serve as the focal point of cultural education activities on the reservation. The college's Native American Studies Program will call the Fort Belknap Cultural Center its home. This facility will also provide a new location for displaying traditional, cultural, and historic items, as well as local art produced by the community. Meeting facilities for cultural activities and community groups will be incorporated into the design.
The need for this facility grows directly out of the college's commitment to more effectively meet its stated mission of "offering [students] an opportunity to maintain the cultural integrity of the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes." The project will also address the need for offering increased educational programs in native language, history, art, and culture identified in strategic planning processes initiated by both Fort Belknap College and The Fort Belknap Indian Community Council. Throughout the project, college personnel will work closely with community representatives to ensure that the cultural center and its programs continue to meet both institutional and community needs.
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