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Congress ends 43-day shutdown, restores CDFI Fund staff and food, housing programs serving Native communities

13 November 2025 Tribal Business News Staff
President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday night ending a 43-day government shutdown that disrupted federal programs across Indian Country, including food assistance, housing and tribal lending operations.

Treasury launches $9B contract review following allegations of 8(a) program fraud

11 Nov
The U.S. Department of the Treasury said it has ordered a comprehensive audit of approximately $9 billion in contracts awarded through preference-based programs, including the Small Business...

Tribal member's case could reshape how Public Law 280 applies to cannabis rights

November 08
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in State of Minnesota v. Todd Jeremy Thompson, a case that could affect how a longstanding public law applies to cannabis in Indian...

Native veterans want to buy homes; South Dakota’s housing gap signals opportunity

November 08
South Dakota’s Native veteran homeownership rate has edged higher in recent years, but still trails other South Dakotans by a wide margin — a gap that Native housing advocates say represents both a...

Tribal Energy Alternatives awards $3.6M in grants to 26 tribes

November 08
Tribal Energy Alternatives has awarded $3.6 million in grants to 26 tribes and tribal organizations through its Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund program, the nonprofit announced this week.

Wisconsin tribal leaders warn housing models unsustainable, call for new approaches

LAC DU FLAMBEAU, Wisc. — Wisconsin tribal leaders said affordable housing capacity on tribal land is becoming structurally unmanageable under current models — and tribes may need to shift away from...
 

Wisconsin tribes to establish small business hubs with state grant

Economic Development
LAC DU FLAMBEAU, Wisc. — The Wisconsin Indigenous Housing & Economic Development Corp. (WIHEDC) is partnering with Wisconsin tribes to establish small business hubs on their reservations through a state grant, with each of the state's 11 federally recognized tribes eligible to receive $90,000.

IN SERVICE | Insurance VP Marni King focuses on Native clients

Indigenous Entrepreneurs
Marni King’s career path began far from the boardroom. A member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, she started in a meatpacking plant before becoming a certified nursing assistant while pursuing a nursing degree. From there, she transitioned to insurance at Humana, where she earned six promotions in nine years.

Treasury confirms SSBCI continues through 2028, ending deadline confusion

Finance
The U.S. Department of the Treasury confirmed Thursday that the State Small Business Credit Initiative program will continue through March 11, 2028, resolving uncertainty over a potential deadline change that tribal advocates warned could disrupt tribal lending programs.

Indian Gaming Association Vice Chairman David Bean steps into interim leadership

Gaming
The Indian Gaming Association announced that Vice Chairman David Z. Bean has assumed the role of chairman following the sudden passing of longtime leader Ernie Stevens Jr. on Sept. 26.

N.M. nonprofit to distribute $1.14M in federal bison grants to tribes

Food | Agriculture
A Native-led nonprofit in New Mexico nonprofit will distribute more than $1 million in federal grants to tribes and tribal organizations for bison production projects.

Q+A: Dr. Richard Luarkie on moving Native nations from sovereignty to significance

Sovereignty
At a recent First Nations conference he attended in Canada, Dr. Richard Luarkie noticed something was missing—almost no one mentioned sovereignty.

Franciscan Sisters return Wisconsin land to Lac du Flambeau Band in historic transfer

Real Estate
The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration transferred nearly 2 acres of land on Trout Lake to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians on Oct. 31, selling the property for the $30,000 they originally paid in 1966 — a steep discount from its current market value.

SBA suspends tribal contractor amid fraud investigation into 8(a) program

Native Contracting
The Small Business Administration has suspended tribally owned ATI Government Solutions from obtaining new federal contracts while the agency investigates allegations the company fraudulently used its tribal status to secure over $100 million in no-bid contracts.

Cherokee Nation enacts AI policy to balance innovation with cultural protection

Arts and Culture
The Cherokee Nation has become one of the first tribes to establish comprehensive artificial intelligence guidelines, signing a policy that allows AI use while protecting Cherokee language and culture.

Muscogee Nation college partners with UNLV on tribal gaming, hospitality degrees

Higher Education
The College of the Muscogee Nation and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas signed an agreement that will allow tribal college students to transfer into UNLV's hospitality program with a focus on tribal gaming and hospitality management.

Alaska Native Corporation partners with Indigenous water company to cut plastic waste

Tourism
Huna Totem Corporation expects to eliminate 15,000 pounds of plastic waste this year through a partnership with an Alaska Native-owned water company that packages glacial water in reusable aluminum bottles.

Lytton Rancheria invests $51M in California groundwater project

Energy | Environment
A publicly traded company announced Tuesday that it has secured $51 million in financing from Lytton Rancheria of California, marking the first tribal investment in the Mojave Groundwater Bank, a water supply and groundwater storage project planned as the largest groundwater bank in the Southwest.

San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation closes $46M bond deal for nursing facility

Health Care
San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation closed on $46.25 million in taxable revenue bonds to finance a 100-bed long-term care and skilled nursing facility on the San Carlos Apache Tribe's reservation in Arizona.

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SBA suspends tribal contractor amid fraud investigation into 8(a) program

SBA suspends tribal contractor amid fraud investigation into 8(a) program

Warner blasts CDFI Fund layoffs, warns move would cripple program serving Native and rural lenders

Warner blasts CDFI Fund layoffs, warns move would cripple program serving Native and rural lenders

Tribal member's case could reshape how Public Law 280 applies to cannabis rights

Tribal member's case could reshape how Public Law 280 applies to cannabis rights

Shutdown, federal RIFs crippling Native programs and violating trust obligations, leaders tell Senate

Shutdown, federal RIFs crippling Native programs and violating trust obligations, leaders tell Senate

Indigenous pitch competitions close the capital gap — and the culture gap

Indigenous pitch competitions close the capital gap — and the culture gap