The Nisqually Tribe has over the past 20 years been pursuing a diversified economic and community development strategy aimed at providing living wage jobs for the tribal membership and revenue to the tribal organization. As part of this effort, the Tribe has identified as a priority the development of a sovereign foods program that will provide food security to low income tribal individual and families.

The Lummi Nation’s main purpose for LFPA+ funds is to procure seafood from local tribal fishermen and distribute to Lummi Nation eligible tribal members. The Lummi Nation’s treaty fishing rights have been reserved as signatories to the Point Elliot Treaty of 1855. All fishermen that exercise these rights commercially are essentially small business owners and are limited for various reasons to a handful of market buyers.