GRID Tribal Program

The Tribal Program had the opportunity to partner with the Blackfeet Community College to implement a solar training program for students and local community members.

We had a blast! Looking forward to the next time we get to work with BCC and the Blackfeet community.

Happy Friday🌞 We wanted to take a moment to introduce the newest members of our team. We are so excited to have Talia, Dayne and Jannika on board!
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Talia Martin is the Director of Tribal Programs. She brings 12+ years of experience in tribal and federal governmental issues on environmental waste management and nuclear and renewable energy. Talia is an enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, Idaho. She enjoys hunting, fishing, camping with her family and coaching youth basketball.
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Dayne Goodheart is the Tribal Program’s Construction Manager and Installation Trainer. He is a Nez Perce tribal member from Lapwai, Idaho. He brings 16 years of construction experience, including 7 years of direct commercial and residential photovoltaic systems knowledge and expertise. Dayne is committed to ensuring tribal community success and energy sovereignty. He enjoys spending time with his family, and practicing his tribal cultural lifeways.
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Jannika Janis is the Tribal Program Administrative Assistant. Previously, she has worked in areas such as human resources, higher education, and building supply. She graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University in 2015 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership at Colorado State University Global. When she’s not working or studying, you can find her spending time with her husband and their four year old son who keeps them very busy. She loves to travel and is also a very big Harry Potter fan.

Our crew will be in Ojo Encino, New Mexico through the end of the year installing solar systems for 15 families. Six of the systems are off-grid refurbishments and will provide Ojo Encino residents with updated battery storage technology and more reliable electricity production☀️

A New York Times article published last month highlights how schools are turning to solar to cut costs and free up money to focus on the well-being of students and their communities.

Mike Tatsey, the superintendent of Heart Butte Public Schools, partnered with GRID to install a solar array at the local high school located on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Mr. Tatsey arranged for three-quarters of the energy credits generated to go towards lowering the electric bills of households in the community.

When talking about benefits to the students, Mr. Tatsey says that “In a roundabout way, when they come to school, because of that little bit of extra hope we’re able to give, they’ll be ready to learn.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/15/climate/solar-energy-school-funding.html

The GRID Alternatives National Tribal Program is looking for a fearless leader to fill some big shoes. The Director of Tribal Programs will provide leadership, vision and management to support our work with Indigenous Nations across the U.S. Apply now to join our awesome team!

https://gridalternatives.org/get-involved/careers/open-positions

13 trainees have been participating on our installs in Towaoc, CO. They’ve powered through GRID’s IBT classroom curriculum, OSHA 10 training, and are now gaining hands on experience installing residential rooftop solar PV systems. We can’t wait to see them continue to grow their skills and experience in the industry!🌞

GRID Tribal Program is hiring! Our HQ Denver office is looking for a Construction Assistant, Administrative Assistant, as well as Project Based Installers to support our work with Tribal Nations across the country. GRID’s North Coast office is also hiring for two SolarCorps positions based in Willits, CA. Follow the link below to learn more about the job opportunities and apply to join our awesome team!
https://linktr.ee/gridtribalprogram

How lucky are we to be able to install in a place as beautiful as Towaoc, CO!? Shout out to our incredible installation team for braving the 100 degree heat and working hard day in and day out. And a big thank you to for hosting us!🌻

Since April 2021, Norton has supported the Tribal Program’s work with Indigenous Nations across the country and has helped us install approximately 900 kW-DC of clean, renewable solar power on tribal land. Here’s a look at where we’ve been since last April:

South Dakota → Montana → Alaska → New Mexico → Washington → Colorado → all throughout California!

We are grateful for our partnership with Norton and are excited to see where this year will bring us!