Northland Foundation hires Cayla Bellanger DeGroat as Program Officer

By Paul Vold kkin@rjbroadcasting.com (3/3/22)

(Northern MN) — The Northland Foundation announced this week that Cayla Bellanger DeGroat has joined their staff as their Program Officer, with a strong focus on coordinating its own Indigenous-led program, Maada’ookiing, which is set to launch May 2021.

A member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, Bellanger DeGroat is a life-long student of indigenous history and federal indian policy with a Bachelor of Arts in American Indian Studies and Master of Tribal Administration and Governance from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Bellanger DeGroat has served the community in several roles, including working with her tribe as Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Homeless Housing Resource Specialist, as well as working with the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Department of American Indian Studies as Community Outreach Coordinator. She has also worked with Native Organizers Alliance on grassroots political campaigns and is a member of the City of Duluth’s Indigenous Commission. An avid reader and researcher, she is anticipating the publication of her first book later this year.

The Northland Foundation serves seven Northeast Minnesota counties and all of part of five Native nations with grantmaking, an operating program, business services, and special initiatives. Learn more about the Northland Foundation by going to their website.