Here is a round up of business news briefs from around Indian Country.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
• Diane House, economic development director for the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, was appointed to the board of directors of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), which works to provide low-cost financing for housing and small business development in Wisconsin. House also currently serves as an Appellate Court judge for the Oneida Judiciary and as a pro tempore judge for Wisconsin Tribal Courts. In her role at Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, House helps tribes and tribal corporations identify economic development priorities and implement business strategies, according to a statement. House also has previous experience as a board member, having served as board chair for Oneida-owned Bay Bancorporation and in various capacities for Oneida Airport Hotel Corporation and Oneida Land Commission. “Part of my work involves helping Wisconsin tribes access local, state and federal economic development resources,” House said in a statement. “I look forward to leveraging WHEDA’s affordable housing and economic development mission to help Wisconsin communities and tribal nations to grow and thrive.”
• Flagstaff, Ariz.-based National Tribal Air Association (NTAA) was honored with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2020 Clean Air Excellence Award in State/Local/Tribal Policy. The award recognizes innovative efforts to help make progress in achieving cleaner air, such as through directly or indirectly reducing emissions of pollutants, offering sustainable outcomes and providing a model for others to follow. NTAA was recognized for its leadership in air quality and climate change policy. The association includes representatives from all 10 of the EPA’s tribal caucuses, plus Alaska, and is administered by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals at Northern Arizona University. NTAA Chair Carol Kriebs, the environmental director for the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, said the award reflects the work of many tribes across the country. “Despite several centuries of oppression and trauma, Tribes across this great nation continue to prosper, grow and carry with pride the status of the First Americans. The NTAA Executive Committee understands this legacy and will continue to serve all Tribes to build Tribal sovereignty and ensure Tribal partnerships with federal, state and local agencies remain strong in order to advance our nation’s air quality,” Kriebs said in a statement.
ENERGY
• Ute Energy LLC President and CEO Devin Pehrson was named to the inaugural board of directors for the Western States and Tribal Nations Natural Gas Initiative, a government-led, trans-national collaborative effort to develop export markets for natural gas from western U.S. states and tribal lands. Ute Energy is a tribal venture of the Ute Indian Tribe focused on oil and gas exploration and development in the Uinta Basin in Utah.
GAMING
• Hard Rock International, a venture of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, announced last week that it has acquired permits to establish a new casino at The Ritz Club in London. The move continues Hard Rock’s global expansion into “major gateway cities,” according to a statement. “We look forward to expanding our brand offerings within London and bringing our award-winning hospitality, gaming and entertainment to the birthplace of Hard Rock,” Hard Rock Chairman Jim Allen stated. Hard Rock owns, licenses or manages venues in 69 countries spanning 240 locations.
FINANCE
• Bank of America said last week that it directed more than $13 million last year to help Native American communities that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds included capital investments in certified Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs), including Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corp. and CDFI intermediary Oweesta Corp., and philanthropic grants to nonprofits and other groups focused on Native communities. Bank of America also said that it made a $10 million contribution to Denver-based Native American Bank to help provide small businesses with capital, as well as efforts aimed at affordable housing, community facilities and consumer lending. Other organizations receiving grants included American Indian College Fund, First Nations Development Institute, National American Indian Housing Council, National Congress of American Indians, Our Native American Business Entrepreneurship Network (ONABEN), Navajo Technical University, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and First Nations Community Health Source, among others.
HIGHER EDUCATION
• Washington State University has hired Native American scholar Cheryl Ellenwood (Nez Perce Nation) to help expand its tribal nation building leadership programs. In her new role, Ellenwood will work with WSU’s Center for Native American Research and Collaboration and the Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health. The nation building programs are focused on helping Native students develop leadership skills and knowledge based on tribal principles and values, according to a statement. Ellenwood, who earned a Ph.D. in public administration and management from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in American Indian studies from UCLA, will be focused on developing “initiatives and courses that support the recruitment, college persistence, and graduation of Native American students.”
FEDERAL CONTRACTING
• Herndon, Va.-based Cloud Lake Technology, a subsidiary of Alaska Native-owned Akima, was awarded a five-year, $99 million U.S. Army contract to maintain the Emergency Management Modernization Program provided Mass Warning Notification capability to Department of Defense sites across the globe. Akima launched Cloud Lake Technology in 2016. Barry Smallwood, president of Akima’s Emerging Markets Group, said the award “demonstrates the confidence that the U.S. Army has in Akima.” Akima is an enterprise of NANA Regional Corporation Inc., which is owned by 14,300 Iñupiat shareholders with roots in a 38,000-square-mile section of northwest Alaska, much of which is located above the Arctic Circle. Akima employs more than 7,500 people across its various subsidiaries.
