Here is a round up of business news from around Indian Country.
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Finance
• The board of Four Directions Development Corp., an Orono, Maine-based Native community development financial institution, has selected current Director of Operations Charlene Virgilio as its new executive director, according to a report in MaineBiz. Virgilio, a citizen of the Penobscot Nation who joined Four Directions in 2019 after a career at IBM, will succeed current Executive Director Susan Hammond when she plans to step down in October. As director of operations, Virgilio also manages Four Directions’ lending and business development programs, which work with the four federally recognized American Indian tribes in Maine. “We are always pleased and proud when a tribal citizen returns to serve our community, and Charlene has brought a wealth of talent,” Board Chairperson Stan Meader said in the report. “Charlene is ideally suited to preserve Susan’s legacy and help realize our shared vision for the four tribes in Maine.”
Real estate
• The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians broke ground in late July on San Manuel Landing, a more than 50-acre commercial center located at the former Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, Calif. The approximately 1 million-square-foot Class A warehouse facility is expected to generate about $1 million per year in local property tax revenue, as well as attract new jobs to the region. The tribe expects construction to wrap up in 2023, according to a report in the Highland Community News. “San Manuel Landing is our commitment to doing what we can to create a better future for our region through partnership with the city and county governments, and (San Bernardino International Airport). Together, we will elevate the standard by which future logistics projects will be planned, evaluated, and developed,” San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Chairman Ken Ramirez wrote in an op-ed for The Press-Enterprise.
• San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation, a subsidiary of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, has acquired the Globe, Ariz.-based Dream Manor Inn, according to a press release published in the Gila Herald of Stafford, Ariz. The 35-room Dream Manor Inn will remain in operation as a commercial hotel, and also offer conference and banquet facilities. San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation said in the statement that many of its employees travel from Tucson, Phoenix and beyond to work at its facilities in Peridot and Bylas in southeastern Arizona. “The growth of our programs has forced us to think outside the box and be innovative in securing our future,” Tribal Chairman Terry Rambler said in a statement. “The purchase of Dream Manor was a business decision, one that will greatly assist the Corporation with recruitment and retention of top healthcare providers and staff – in offering premier housing.”
Gaming
• Gun Lake Casino, the gaming venture of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, known as the Gun Lake Tribe, launched its online sportsbook based on the Kambi platform for bettors in Michigan. The program is a partnership between the tribe and Parx Casino, which oversees the online casino and sportsbook. Previously, Gun Lake Casino launched the retail Stage 131 Sportsbook and Lounge. A new permanent venue known as 131 Sportsbar & Lounge is set to open by the end of summer 2021 as part of the casino’s ongoing $100 million expansion. “Our dedication to providing an exceptional sports betting experience has now been expanded to a convenient and accessible service online,” said Jose Flores, vice president and general manager for Gun Lake Casino. “The combination of our partnership with Parx Casino and the Kambi platform has allowed us to create an online sports betting option that reflects Gun Lake Casino’s unsurpassed standards.”
Economic development
• The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is the latest government to sign the Western States and Tribal Nations Natural Gas Initiative, a trans-national effort that advocates for energy development that boosts rural economies and tribal self-determination. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is the third tribally affiliated member of the initiative along with Ute Indian Tribe and BlackHawk Energy, a wholly owned company of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. “The Southern Ute Indian Tribe has a strong and successful legacy in energy and economic development,” Tribal Chairman Melvin Baker said in a statement. “The Tribe understands the benefit of strong business and intergovernmental relationships to strengthen its self-determination and sovereignty.” By signing the memorandum of understanding, the tribe will also be able to appoint a member to the WSTN board of directors.
Education
The U.S. Department of Education awarded $10 million in grants to 29 colleges and universities, including tribal colleges and universities, via the Indian Education Professional Development (PD) program. The funding is aimed at addressing what the department recognizes as “a significant gap” in the number of qualified Native Americans in education-related professions that serve Native students. Funded projects help develop and implement initiatives aimed at preparing and retaining Native teachers and administrators. The awards included 21 teacher training grants and eight administrator training grants. The awardees by state were:
• Arizona: Northern Arizona University ($385,437), Arizona State University ($399,785), University of Arizona ($399,620)
• California: Tzicatl Community Development Corporation ($398,457), Claremont Graduate University ($318,218), Blue Lake Rancheria ($342,656)
• Idaho: University of Idaho ($300,436)
• Minnesota: St. Cloud State University ($363,599)
• Montana: Little Big Horn College ($396,309), Blackfeet Community College ($399,550), Salish Kootenai College ($394,284), Fort Peck Community College ($395,097), Stone Child College ($389,790)
• Nebraska: University of Nebraska-Lincoln ($98,209)
• North Carolina: University of North Carolina at Pembroke ($311,201)
• North Dakota: Turtle Mountain Community College ($364,628), Sitting Bull College ($373,715), University of Mary (two grants totaling $800,000), University of North Dakota ($400,000)
• Oklahoma: Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma ($293,452), American Indian Resource Center Inc. (two grants totaling $798,306)
• Oregon: University of Oregon ($399,993), Portland State University ($317,625)
• South Dakota: Oglala Lakota College (two grants totaling $742,639)
• Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (two grants totaling $398,814)
