Every year millions of dollars are distributed by the federal, state and local governments through the ubiquitous grant-awarding process. But without the experience to apply for grants convincingly, those communities that need them often get left out.

A new program called the Four Corners Enterprise Community is working to change all that by teaching grant-writing skills to Native American tribes and then awarding money for economic and infrastructure improvements. The Clinton/Gore initiative funneled through the USDA and the Navajo Nation Division of Economic Development will pump $2.5 million into projects for Ute Mountain, Navajo, and Hopi tribes over the next ten years.

"It teaches communities to network with each other and become self-sufficient," said Selena Manychildren, information officer for the program. "It teaches tribes to look for money to fund projects that are important to them."

Rural areas must compete for grants also sought after by urban areas that have more people, expertise and contacts to get the money they need.

"You just don’t get a lot of grant writers out here in our neck of the woods, but we are learning, thanks to this program," said Mary Jane Yazzie, chairperson for the White Mesa reservation, a tiny community on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation in rural southeast Utah.

White Mesa leaders worked with Ute Mountain tribal planner Troy Ralston on the grant-writing process and were pre-selected to receive funding that could top out at $755,000, Manychildren said, although exactly how much will actually be awarded has yet to be determined, based on the needs of other communities.

"They will get something, possibly the whole thing because there are some real needs there," Manychildren said.

The money will be used to replace a leaking water-storage tank that provides drinking water for White Mesa, install fire hydrants, provide financing for a new community park and help pay for a new Head Start building there.

Yazzie said that the water tank is in dire need of being replaced, adding that recreation facilities in White Mesa require a facelift.

"Our traditional Bear Dance area in the park can be upgraded now along with our softball fields, which we have needed for the past 20 years," Yazzie said. "A better park will really be good for our elders because they like green, cool places where they can sit and rest in the shade. Right now they run over to Blanding or somewhere else, so this will give them a place to go right here in the community."