Promoting a Tribal Citizen Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
The session featured a presentation from our three keynote speakers.
Together, they discussed the barriers to and the benefits of tribal citizen entrepreneurship. A lack of financial literacy, limited access to capital, and inconsistent rules & regulations have made it difficult for tribal citizens to start business ventures.
Other aspects, like tax advantages and lower costs for utilities and heightened familiarity with and proximity to tribal communities, allow tribal citizen entrepreneurship to support individual and communal wellness in the short term and for generations to come. In part owing to their often-intimate understanding of their communities, it's important to recognize that Indigenous women play an increasingly critical role in tribal citizen entrepreneurship.
Tribal governments can support entrepreneurship in many ways, including by collecting vital information from and about the community to help fill important data gaps in an effort to make more informed planning decisions. In addition to highlighting the benefits of creating partnerships and developing strategic plans with tribal governments, the speakers discussed various approaches to supporting technical assistance and increasing access to capital.
We also got the opportunity to hear from Dr. Ian Record as he presented NCAI’s expansive ‘Building Tribal Economies’ Toolkit. This resource, centered around seeding economic prosperity and transformation, shares knowledge and best practices of proven approaches to building a tribal economy. Accompanying the toolkit are 3 short videos – totaling 12 minutes – that explore the topic further.
There were many questions posed by participants during the session. Those questions, with answers from the Resource Group and fellow participants, will continue to be posted in the Knowledge Bank.
EDA Resources
Sydney Milner of EDA provided links to information relevant to the March session. Explore some of EDA’s notable programs and their Technology Based CoP below:
The people of the Yakama Nation has had a deep connection to the forest and their land for countless generations. The nation is utilizing their traditional ways to advance community economic development through conservation, selling timber, and educational advancement. The nation is creating jobs, advancing the nation’s economic capacity, and providing educational opportunities for their members.