Program History
In 1996, former President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) eliminating Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and created Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). It is designed to be a welfare-to-work program.
The Federal Government recognized the unique hardships Native American tribes faced and created a clause in PRWORA that allowed Federally recognized tribes to apply for funding to run their own TANF programs. Tribal TANF programs have flexibility to design their own programs that promote work, responsibility and strengthening families.
On November 20, 2007, The San Carlos Apache Tribal Council approved the TANF plan beginning April 1, 2008 through March 31, 2011.
On January 20, 2008, the Council passed a resolution to make TANF a stand-alone program, apart from Tribal Social Services. They opened their first office in Peridot in a modular building donated by former Peridot Councilmen Harding Burdette and the late Walliman Clark, Sr.
Bernadette Kniffin, Nnee Bich’o Nii Director, hit the ground running and has not stopped or slowed down since. After the TANF program proved it was going to work for the people. Ms. Kniffin went to her grandmother, the late Sadie Kniffin, for advice on changing the name of the program to Nnee Bich’o Nii (Helping the People). Grandma Sadie gave her stamp of approval and it was done.
Mission
The San Carlos Apache Tribe Nnee Bich’o Nii Program will provide eligible individuals the opportunity to become economically independent through education, training and employment. Nnee Bich’o Nii will strengthen families through the recognition of Apache customs and traditions. We will remove barriers by providing case management, educational and employment-related opportunities and support services when needed.
What’s Ahead