Here is a round up of business news from around Indian Country.
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Education
• Montana State University will use a $2.2 million Nursing Workforce Diversity grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to provide scholarships to 15 American Indian or Alaska Native students enrolled in the Caring for Our Own Program (CO-OP) at the MSU College of Nursing. Combined with other grants and scholarships, the MSU College of Nursing will be able to offer funding to almost every CO-OP student, according to a report from the university. The program currently has 72 students, seven of whom are pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree to become nurse practitioners. The program aims to boost the number of Native students who study nursing, graduate with nursing degrees and get certified, according to Laura Larsson, CO-OP program director and a nursing professor. While American Indians represent 6.5 percent of the Montana population, just 3.2 percent of the nursing workforce identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, according to the university.
Gaming
• Notah Begay III (Pueblos of San Felipe and Isleta/Diné), was named chair of the newly created Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for PointsBet, a Denver, Colo.-based online gaming operator. Begay, a former PGA pro, serves as a golf analyst for NBC Sports and the Golf Channel. The committee is tasked with advising the company’s management team on diversity initiatives, ensuring the firm hires and retains a diverse and inclusive workforce and that the PointsBet workforce reflects its communities. “I am excited to play a part in a company that truly understands the unique and intrinsic values of sport while also recognizing its importance to and profound impact on community,” Begay said in a statement. “Creating new opportunities and making a difference in the communities we serve will be the ultimate benchmark of the PointsBet DE&I team. I want to help PointsBet in their quest to be the best sportsbook around, and in doing so, am thrilled to be able to assist the business in the important practice of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
• Dana Schlehuber, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, was named general manager of the tribe’s Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., according to a statement. Schlehuber has worked for the tribe and its gaming enterprise for 18 years, most recently serving as comptroller for Kewadin Casinos. Schlehuber has a degree in accounting from Central Michigan University. “The Tribe’s goal has always been to train and promote our Members, so it’s exciting to see this goal become a reality once again,” Sault Tribe Chairperson Aaron Payment said in a statement.
• The White Mountain Apache Tribe is partnering with MaximBet, a sports betting lifestyle brand and portfolio company of China-based ZK International Group Co. Ltd. (Nasdaq: ZKIN) to apply for a sports betting license from the Arizona Department of Gaming, according to a statement. If successful, the partners plan to launch the MaximBet platform in the state. MaximBet is an affiliate of the men’s lifestyle brand Maxim. “This partnership will unlock a very important new revenue stream and is critical to the economic future of the tribe and its 17,000 members,” said Brent Kurth, general manager of Hon-Dah Resort-Casino, which is owned and operated by the White Mountain Apache Tribe. Pending regulatory approvals, MaximBet also plans to launch in Colorado, Iowa, Indiana and New Jersey.
Philanthropy
• Bethesda, Md.-based Aviv Foundation selected the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition (NICWC) as one of four winners in its inaugural Springboard Prize for Child Welfare, a nationwide effort “to identify exceptional, innovative, early-stage projects working to improve the lives of children and families navigating the child welfare system.” As part of the prize, NICWC will receive $200,000 over two years and additional resources from the Aviv Foundation, a family foundation that invests in child welfare, education, Jewish life, Israel and U.S. democracy. NICWC plans to develop a culturally specific program to assist tribal youth aging out of care to connect with various services and financial resources to transition into adulthood, according to a statement. The initiative, led by Misty Frazier (Santee Sioux Nation), also hopes to share its best practices with other tribal communities and organizations across the country.
Nonprofit
• The Association on American Indian Affairs has selected Kimberly Smith, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, for the role of public affairs and outreach coordinator for the nonprofit, according to a report in Cherokee One Feather. In the position, Smith will help with community outreach, education and marketing. Previously, Smith advocated for Indigenous rights, including working with universities and local governments on repatriation of Cherokee lands. She also worked in the federal government in the Census Bureau and as editor of the Federally Employed Women. “As our 100-year-old organization looks to the future, Kimberly will be an important part of our commitment to creating a world where diverse Native American cultures and values are lived, protected, and respected,” Association Chief Executive and Attorney Shannon O’Loughlin said in the report.
