BTV Local & Indigenous Fund

Donated $1,000 to Color of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization in celebration of Juneteenth.

Donated $1,000 to The Sentencing Project, who advocates for effective and humane responses to crime that minimize imprisonment and criminalization of youth and adults by promoting racial, ethnic, economic, and gender justice.

We’ve created an apprenticeship program that provides Indigenous apprentices with job training in all aspects of the cannabis industry and offers additional resources and education needed to be successful in that industry, ultimately creating economic opportunity for Indigenous individuals and their communities. We’ve also initiated the Global Indigenous Grant, which was made to provide an opportunity for Indigenous community members to join the cannabis business community by offering them the starting resources they need.

The fund delivers bi-monthly donations to Aunt Dot’s Place – a food shelf serving the Essex, Vermont community as well as, Abenaki Helping Abenaki created to address cultural, educational, and socio-economic issues within the greater Abenaki and Indian communities of N’dakinna (VT and NH). We’ve also participated in the Abenaki, Food and Education Drive to help provide healthy food options and Educate Vermonters about their indigenous neighbors.

The Apprenticeship Program was launched to provide Indigenous apprentices with job training in all aspects of the cannabis industry and offers additional resources and education needed to be successful in that industry, ultimately creating economic opportunity for Indigenous individuals and their communities.

A conversation with Indigenous Fund Apprenticeship Program Grantee, Tyler J ::

“I Don’t Deserve This.”

This is the voice inside Tyler that permeates his being. However, a year of increasing responsibility, goals set and attained, and the beginning realization that HE resonates and animates people he is with, a corner is turning.

Tyler accepted the Magic Mann Apprenticeship direct from the Diné Lands. The 10 years prior saw Tyler working in his Grandparents’ store – stocking and doing odd jobs, as well as a stint in Phoenix, where he did try to find support – but landed back on the reservation during COVID.

Tyler’s troubled early years, in a community and family processing the weaponization of boarding schools against Native American Children and the impact of the uranium mines, were not easy. Tyler felt like he was on autopilot with no direction, no obligations – except to not let down his grandparents – and no perspective of self-worth.

July of 2023, Cheryl, Tyler’s mom, and a friend of Meredith, learned about the apprenticeship program and made a push for Tyler to make his way to Vermont. Once accepted – Tyler worked to raise money for his plane ticket, did background checks and set off in September with zero expectations.

Upon arrival to the Green Mountain State, Tyler immediately took to the greenness of everything – a direct contrast to the darker mahogany hues of the mountainous area he called home. “It smelled great, appeared to be a cute town, looked fun and was told by Meredith that everyone is ‘weird’ here – so you should feel comfortable.”

The change was great – and eye-opening. He saw how important it is to preserve ones’ identity, as some tribes in the Green Mountain state are fighting to reclaim their image. He saw some of the Local tribes “growing” while being from an area where the People and tribe felt “grown.”

Tyler was put to work immediately and had to learn to, not only listen to himself for the first time, but also to listen to others, take advice and not avoid people. The fund allowed Tyler to not feel food, housing, and transportation insecure.

But Tyler was homesick. His slang was different. Nobody understood his Native jokes. He often felt as an outsider in his brown skin and that he needed to embrace a “persona” as opposed to being himself. A trip home, to the reservation, several months later reinforced his desire to stay where he didn’t need to be pushed outside his comfort zone.

However, Tyler returned to Vermont. With months of increased responsibilities, self-reflection, and realization of his growth anchored by his expansive knowledge and capability within the cannabis industry, changes began to seep into his soul. An understanding that “just being happy” requires work.

Energy replaced lethargy to make a difference. Achieving goals replaced self-doubting and dwelling. Tyler has a car, roommates, and a dog. He is reaching out for support where once he just accepted “as is.” And he now has set new goals for himself, including becoming more engaged with Native Communities in Vermont and finding ways to preserve, share and educate about his culture.

Tyler recently went home again. This time was different. Family members were laid off from work. Childhood friends were turning into “glonnies” or drunk panhandlers just asking for money to get by. People clearly saw a change in Tyler – and were happy for him and his success. While it is still tough for Tyler to reason with himself that he DOES deserve this, and to recognize that he is the person who put in the work to secure his goals – this visit was not a visit home. This visit was a vacation. And he needed to head back to Vermont – his home.

Tyler works full-time at Magic Mann. He is lead in our production area as well as part of our front of house Budtending crew. A wealth of knowledge, in all things cannabis, Tyler now opportunistically looks to the future and accomplishing his next set of goals that he now routinely sets for himself.

From Tyler: