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November 17, 2023

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Groups produce two economic policy briefs aimed at Congress, the administration

MESA, AZ – Some 12 Native American organizations have joined together to develop companion economic policy briefs focused on concrete steps Congress and the Biden Administration can take to boost tribal economies and Native-owned businesses. The briefs were developed over the course of several months, with input from endorsing organizations that span Indian Country, and presented this week at the National Congress of American Indians’ (NCAI) Conference and Marketplace in New Orleans. Focus areas of the briefs include access to capital, tax policy, energy development and land management, infrastructure, agriculture, support for small businesses, and international trade. Each paper details specific legislation, rules, interagency coordination, programs, and other steps needed to help Tribal Nations and Native-owned businesses boost their economy-building efforts.

The policy briefs, as well as supporting documents, are permanently available on a page on The National Center’s website. They were also featured in a segment aired earlier today on Marketplace Morning Report.

“The collaborative effort that led to the creation of these policy priorities is a model for how Indian Country can work together and speak with a strong and unified voice,” said Chris James, President and CEO of The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. “From finance to farm policy, taxation to international trade, these policy briefs represent a road map for how the federal government can work with Tribal Nations to grow their economies. I encourage Congressional leaders, Administration officials, and anyone with an interest in tribal economic policy to take heed of and act on the recommendations put forward by these organizations.”

Signing on to the briefs were:

·       Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians

·       First Peoples Fund

·       Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association, Inc.

·       Indian Gaming Association

·       Intertribal Agriculture Council

·       The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development

·       National Congress of American Indians

·       Native American Contractors Association

·       Native American Finance Officers Association

·       Native CDFI Network

·       Native Farm Bill Coalition

·       United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc.

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