Tribal Business News

Tribal Business News

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

ANA opens $27.5M in new tribal grants, replacing decades-old economic development program

4 August 2026 Aminah Syed

The Administration for Native Americans has opened applications for two new grant programs that replace one of the federal government’s longest-running tribal economic development initiatives.

The Briefing | Prediction markets pose risks beyond lost revenue

04 Aug

Prediction markets remain one of the most closely watched issues in Indian gaming as tribes challenge federally regulated sports event contracts in court and warn they threaten tribal gaming...

Native Forward commits $40M to endowment, expands scholarships with MacKenzie Scott gift

August 05

Native Forward Scholars Fund will invest $40 million of a $50 million gift from MacKenzie Scott into a permanent endowment, using the remaining $10 million to expand scholarships for Native students...

California woman fined $10K after admitting to selling counterfeit Native jewelry

August 05

A San Francisco woman was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine after pleading guilty to selling counterfeit Native American jewelry falsely marketed as authentic work by Native artists, federal prosecutors...

Dartmouth launches Tribal Sovereignty Institute with $5M lead gift

August 06

Dartmouth College has launched the Dartmouth Tribal Sovereignty Institute with a $5 million lead gift that will permanently endow its executive director position.

SBA offers up to $10M for manufacturing training at tribal colleges

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering up to $10 million in grants to tribal colleges and other tribal-serving institutions to expand manufacturing workforce training.

Sponsored Storytelling

Why Infrastructure Stewardship Starts With Knowing What You Own

Sponsored Storytelling. Tribal governments invest millions of dollars in clinics, administrative buildings, public safety facilities and other community infrastructure. Before leaders decide what to...

Pokagon investment enterprise takes full control of Mno-DREK

Economic Development

Mno-Bmadsen, the non-gaming investment enterprise of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan and Indiana, has acquired the remaining 46% stake in manufacturing holding company Mno-DREK LLC, completing an eight-year plan to take full ownership of the business.

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: Native CDFI leaders reflect on progress, policy and what's next

Finance

The Native CDFI movement continued to build momentum during the first half of 2026, even as shifting federal priorities created new challenges for Native lenders and the communities they serve.

The missing data in the prediction market debate

Sponsored Storytelling

Prediction markets — platforms where people stake money on the outcome of elections, sports, economic reports and other future events — are rapidly reshaping the online wagering landscape. They're...

Tribes urge Congress to clarify prediction market rules at Senate roundtable

Gaming

A Tuesday roundtable of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs brought tribal leaders and federal lawmakers together for what participants called the most direct conversation yet about the rapid growth of prediction markets and their impact on tribal gaming and sovereignty.

Murray, Cortez Masto reintroduce bill to expand food assistance for tribal households

Food | Agriculture

Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., reintroduced legislation that would expand nutrition assistance for tribal households by allowing eligible families to receive benefits through two federal food programs in the same month.

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.

Yurok Tribe gains 125-acre redwood gateway in California land transfer

Real Estate

Save the Redwoods League has transferred 125 acres in Orick, Calif., to the Yurok Tribe, establishing a tribally owned public gateway near Redwood National and State Parks and permanently protecting critical salmon habitat.

Q+A: Sam Flores on building sustainable EMS systems in tribal communities

Sponsored Storytelling

In many rural tribal communities, providing timely emergency medical services can be a challenge. Long travel distances, workforce shortages, and limited healthcare infrastructure can make it...

Defense Department pauses next phase of CMMC 2.0 cybersecurity rollout

Native Contracting

The U.S. Department of Defense has suspended implementation of Phase II of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 program, delaying new cybersecurity certification requirements that were scheduled to take effect Nov. 10 while officials conduct a 60-day review of the program.

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.

Colville Tribes sign record $8.4M athletics sponsorship with Washington State

Higher Education

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have signed an $8.43 million, five-year sponsorship agreement with Washington State University Athletics, marking the largest annual sponsorship in the athletic department's history.

Why We’re Paying Attention to Prediction Markets

Sponsored Storytelling

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...

Disney Cruise Line signs 15-year agreement with Huna Totem for Icy Strait Point

Tourism

Disney Cruise Line and Huna Totem Corporation have signed a 15-year agreement securing Disney ship calls at the Alaska Native corporation's Icy Strait Point through at least 2041, extending a partnership that provides long-term passenger traffic for the Indigenous-owned cruise destination.

Appeals court blocks EPA from canceling $20B climate grant program

Energy | Environment

A federal appeals court has left in place a court order that blocks stops the Environmental Protection Agency from canceling $20 billion in clean energy grants and taking back money that had already been distributed. The funding includes about $1.5 billion expected to support tribal and Native-serving projects.

Chickasaw Nation breaks ground on Newcastle medical campus

Health Care

The Chickasaw Nation has begun construction on a major medical campus in Newcastle, Okla., a project that will expand healthcare access for Native patients through a partnership with the Indian Health Service.

Native entrepreneurs don’t need discovery. They need opportunity.

Opinion | Op-Ed

Guest Opinion. The U.S. House’s unanimous passage of the Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act is being treated, understandably, as a small-business story.

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.

Senate spending bill would delay OMB grant rule overhaul until Dec. 11

Policy and Law

The Senate Appropriations Committee has moved to delay a sweeping rewrite of federal grant rules that tribal governments say could disrupt funding across Indian Country.

Most Recent

Chickasaw Nation breaks ground on Newcastle medical campus

Cherokee Nation opens $30M wellness center in Tahlequah

Dartmouth launches Tribal Sovereignty Institute with $5M lead gift

California woman fined $10K after admitting to selling counterfeit Native jewelry

Native Forward commits $40M to endowment, expands scholarships with MacKenzie Scott gift