Tribal Business News

Tribal Business News

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Details: By Brian Edwards; Uncategorized; January 1, 2022

SBA moves to revise 8(a) rules while preserving tribal, ANC eligibility

13 June 2026 Brian Edwards

The U.S. Small Business Administration has proposed changes to its 8(a) Business Development Program that would eliminate race-based presumptions of social disadvantage for individually owned businesses while leaving eligibility standards unchanged for tribally owned enterprises, Alaska Native corporations and other Native entity-owned participants.

Red Lake positions itself for solar growth with $9M Mawka project

13 Jun

The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians is moving forward with a $9 million solar project, positioning the tribe for future expansion as renewable energy financing becomes more challenging.

Defense Department reaffirms tribal, ANC eligibility in SBA 8(a) program

June 13

The Department of Defense has reaffirmed support for tribal and Alaska Native Corporation participation in the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development Program, according to a...

The case for making ITARA’s tribal management authority permanent

June 13

Guest Opinion. Tribal nations, America’s original land stewards, are facing a legislative hurdle that could severely restrict their ability to manage 19.3 million acres of trust forest lands.

Tribes gain direct access to federal recreation grants worth up to $15M

June 13

Federally recognized tribes can now apply for grants of up to $15 million through a federal outdoor recreation program after Congress expanded eligibility last year.

Karuk Tribe secures $1.5M for healthcare workforce housing project

The Karuk Tribe said it has secured $1.5 million in federal funding to build workforce housing for healthcare professionals serving its communities.

Sponsored Storytelling

Why We’re Paying Attention to Prediction Markets

As a Native law student and young professional engaged in tribal governance, gaming and federal Indian law, we have been paying close attention to the rapid rise of prediction markets and the debate...

DOT opens $19M tribal transit funding round for rural projects

Economic Development

The Department of Transportation is making about $19 million in competitive grants available for tribal transit projects in fiscal year 2026, continuing a federal program that helps tribes expand and operate transportation systems in rural communities.

From powwow concessions to a growing Native-owned hospitality brand

Indigenous Entrepreneurs

For many restaurant startups, a food truck is the first step toward opening a brick-and-mortar location. For Indigenous Eats, it happened in reverse.

PODCAST: The Treasurer Visits Blackfeet

Finance

U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach traveled to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation last week for his first visit to a Montana reservation since taking office — a trip that offered a firsthand look at the opportunities and barriers shaping economic development in Indian Country.

Kent Paul reflects on 25 years helping build Native American Bank

Sponsored Storytelling

As Native American Bank nears 25 years, outgoing Board Chairman Kent Paul looks back on the tribally-owned bank's growth and mission.

Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation sues Vallejo over Scotts Valley casino agreements

Gaming

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation has filed suit against the city of Vallejo and its city council over the council’s approval of an encroachment permit and a memorandum of understanding tied to the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ proposed temporary casino.

Tribes push Senate to restore food sovereignty pilot left out of House bill

Food | Agriculture

The Native Farm Bill Coalition is urging senators to restore a tribal food purchasing pilot omitted from the House farm bill, warning that the program’s future could be in jeopardy if Congress fails to explicitly reauthorize it.

Supreme Court declines Chinook bid for federal recognition through courts

Sovereignty

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the Chinook Indian Nation’s petition on whether federal courts can recognize Indian tribes.

IN SERVICE | Ellen and Serena Harmon on entrepreneurship, community and building for the future

Real Estate

After their mother's death, Ellen and Serena Harmon and their four brothers pooled the proceeds from her life insurance policy to start a business on the Rosebud Reservation — the community their mother had grown up in as a child.

From the Crow Nation to the Courtroom: Celina Stops Makes History at Boyd School of Law

Sponsored Storytelling

LAS VEGAS, NV - When Celina Stops arrived at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she was pursuing more than a law degree. She was stepping into territory that...

Eastern Shawnee Companies launches healthcare staffing subsidiary

Native Contracting

Eastern Shawnee Companies has launched a healthcare staffing subsidiary and hired an experienced management team as the tribal enterprise continues expanding its federal contracting operations.

Tribal heritage projects eligible for up to $100K in federal funding through NPS program

Arts and Culture

The National Park Service is providing grants of up to $100,000 for federally recognized tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations working on cultural and historic preservation projects.

Tribal colleges eligible for share of $15M federal research infrastructure funding

Higher Education

Tribally controlled colleges and universities are eligible to compete for a share of up to $15 million in federal funding aimed at expanding research capacity and improving campus infrastructure.

How Section 105(l) is reshaping Tribal control of infrastructure and long-term funding

Sponsored Storytelling

The federal program is giving Tribes more control over the facilities their communities rely on, creating a more defined and predictable approach to funding, operations, and long-term infrastructure...

Laguna Creek raises $6.3M to scale software for tribal tourism operators

Tourism

Gilbert, Ariz.-based Laguna Creek LLC has raised $6.3 million in a Series A round led by Tempe-based Dali Capital Partners to expand its software platform for tribal hospitality and tourism businesses, the company said.

DOE opens $3.5M microgrid funding opportunity for tribes, remote communities

Energy | Environment

The U.S. Department of Energy opened a new funding opportunity offering up to $2.5 million in direct project support and about $1 million in technical assistance to support microgrid development in remote and isolated regions, including tribal communities.

IHS launches tribal long-term care construction initiative with three projects

Health Care

The Indian Health Service has selected three tribal health organizations for the agency’s first-ever Long-Term Care Joint Venture Construction Program projects, marking a new federal effort to expand skilled nursing and elder care capacity in Indian Country.

Ten Years, Three Tribes

Opinion | Op-Ed

Guest Essay. Of the 55 tribes in the Intertribal Timber Council, only three have approved Indian Trust Asset Management Plans in the ten years since ITARA passed.

As data becomes a strategic asset, Native leaders face a new sovereignty test

Sponsored Storytelling

Sponsored Storytelling. For more than a decade, Indigenous researchers and advocates have built frameworks to govern Native data.

Senators warn proposed FY2027 Native program cuts could strain federal obligations

Policy and Law

Proposed cuts to Native-serving programs, staffing losses across federal agencies and growing delays in tribal project approvals dominated a Senate Indian Affairs Committee budget hearing Wednesday, as lawmakers from both parties questioned whether the federal government can continue meeting its treaty and trust obligations to tribes.

Most Recent

Karuk Tribe secures $1.5M for healthcare workforce housing project

SBA moves to revise 8(a) rules while preserving tribal, ANC eligibility

Tribes gain direct access to federal recreation grants worth up to $15M

The case for making ITARA’s tribal management authority permanent

Defense Department reaffirms tribal, ANC eligibility in SBA 8(a) program