MSU Extension, Fort Belknap Reservation: Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program

Published: 2019
By Hillary Maxwell

The MSU Extension program on the Fort Belknap Reservation is one of the long-standing 33 Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Programs (FRTEP) in the country. The role of FRTEP on the Fort Belknap Reservation has been historically integral to knowledge acquisition and skill development in the lives of tribal members at Fort Belknap for over 30 years. The Fort Belknap Reservation Extension staff have had a very busy year, providing education and outreach to many of the 7,000 members of the reservation. As agents worked to identify and prioritize the needs and interests of the reservation, community members of Hays, Lodge Pole, Dodson, and Agency showed increased interest in learning about and participating in a variety of topics. Though it was a difficult year due to the extreme weather conditions affecting our reservation, there seemed to be a steady interest in continuing to address our goals and objectives as we respond to the emerging needs of families, producers, businesses and industry. We continue to see how MSU Extension’s structure encourages true engagement and local involvement and expertise. In response to new technologies, staff have developed social media efforts that have reached a new demographic of participants; the Extension Facebook page has 684 followers. Partnerships and collaborators, both on- and off-reservation, number over 40 agencies, specialists and tribal programs.