Delaware Tribe Awarded CARES Act Grant

For Immediate Release
July 27, 2020
Curtis Zunigha, Cultural Center Director
czunigha@delawaretribe.org
(918) 337-6541

The Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL) has awarded a $1,000 PPE grant to the Delaware Tribe to help the Cultural Center purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies to keep staff and visitors safer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Delaware Tribe is one of 64 institutions to receive a grant from ODL courtesy of the federal CARES Act and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). A total of $60,000 was distributed by ODL to address the coronavirus concerns of public libraries, tribal libraries, tribal cultural centers, museums, and historic sites in the state.

Curtis Zunigha, Director of the tribe’s Cultural Center, said the funding will be used to provide masks, gloves, face shields, protective barriers, hand sanitizer, and signage to maintain social distancing.

“It looks like we may be dealing with this virus for some time, so it’s very important that we follow CDC guidelines approved by our Tribal Council as we open up services to the public,” Zunigha said. “This grant will provide supplies we need to help reduce risk of exposure for our employees and visitors. Our mission is to serve our tribe and community, and we want to continue that mission in the safest way possible.”

The Cultural Center and other tribal offices initially closed due to the pandemic on March 18. They temporarily reopened July 1 to employees-only so that the buildings can be prepared for a public opening. That date remains to be approved and announced by the Tribe.

In developing the grant, ODL Director Melody Kellogg said institutions were surveyed about any hurdles they might face in returning to service during the pandemic.

The top concerns of libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions were a shortage of cleaning supplies and PPE equipment, fear on the part of staff and the public, and the challenge of enforcing social distancing and other best-health practices in their facilities.

“We developed the grant proposal to help address these concerns,” Kellogg said. “We were very fortunate in that we were able to provide some funding to all 64 of the eligible institutions that applied.”

The PPE grant is the first of two that will be available from ODL, with funding from IMLS and the CARES Act. The grants were designed to help the state’s important cultural institutions address two impacts of COVID-19: public health concerns, and the need to breach the digital divide and improve digital inclusion to better serve the public.

“The pandemic has thrown a spotlight on the digital divide in our state and nation,” Kellogg said. “At a time when, for safety reasons, we are depending more than ever on electronic communication, far too many of our fellow citizens don’t have the tools or access needed to take advantage of important services.”

Recipients of the Digital Inclusion Grants, totaling $291,320, will be announced later in July.

A complete list of Oklahoma’s 64 PPE Grant recipients is at: news.oklibshare.org/federal-funding/odl-awards-cares-act-ppe-grants-to-64-institutions.

The federally-recognized Delaware Tribe of Indians is headquartered in Bartlesville. While their origins are in the Pennsylvania/New Jersey area, their history includes forced migrations west. They arrived in Cherokee Nation Indian Territory in 1867 and settled along the Caney River. The Cultural Center includes a library, museum (under construction), archives, research center, language program, cultural activities and events, and the Gift Shop. More information can be found at www.delawaretribe.org.

The Oklahoma Department of Libraries is the official state library of Oklahoma. The agency serves the information and records management needs of state government, assists with public library development, coordinates library and information technology projects for the state, and serves the general public through its specialized collections.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services works to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grant-making, research, and policy development.