Here is a round up of business news from around Indian Country.
M&A
• Aka Energy LLC, a Durango, Colo.-based natural gas midstream company wholly owned by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, divested the Gilcrest System to Denver-based Cureton Midstream LLC as of Feb. 1., according to a statement. Aka Energy designs, constructs and operates natural gas gathering, treating and processing facilities. The Gilcrest System operates in the Denver-Julesburg basin and features more than 38 million cubic feet per day of processing capacity, more than 100 miles of low- and high-pressure pipelines and long-term acreage in the basin. A portfolio company of Tailwater Capital, Cureton Midstream is a midstream company focused on developing and operating gas gathering and processing infrastructure in Colorado. The deal offered Cureton access to strategic connections and a growing base of customers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Economic development
• The Spokane Indian Tribe received a $16 million Infrastructure Acceleration grant from the Washington State Broadband Office that would enable the tribe’s Department of Public Works and Sṕq́ńiʔ Broadband Services to develop a fiber optic network throughout the reservation in the northwestern part of the state. The funding will allow the tribe to construct fiber-to-the-home and middle-mile service and allow Sṕq́ńiʔ Broadband Services to expand on its current emergency wireless deployment for “a more futureproofed and robust network,” according to a statement. The tribe is targeting completion for the build-out in 2024, but acknowledged that supply chain challenges could draw out the process.
Funding
• A $1.4 billion rural investment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture included several tribal projects. The funding round is aimed at providing job training, facilitating business expansion and offering technical assistance to startups. Among the Native-led projects, Rolland Ranch Beef received a $250,000 Value-Added Producer Grant to increase processing, marketing and delivery of locally raised beef to area consumers, schools and the Chickasaw Nation. Other Native projects receiving Value Added Producer Grants included the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska ($249,996) and the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma ($75,000). As well, Grand Island, Neb.-based Native360 Loan Fund Inc., a Native community development financial institution (CDFI), received $8,701 via the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program grant to provide business-based training and technical assistance to rural clients across 12 Nebraska counties.
Government
• In a special election, the National Congress of American Indians has elected Stephen Roe Lewis to fill a vacancy for the position of Recording Secretary. In a statement, Lewis, who serves as governor of the Gila River Indian Community, said he was “honored” to be elected to the position. “NCAI holds a special place for me as the history of NCAI is intertwined with our growth as Tribal Nations and as tribal leaders,” Lewis stated. “I look forward to working with Tribal Nations across Indian Country to find ways to unify and strengthen our collective voice in ways that elevate our relationship with our federal partners. After watching NCAI’s recent growth and rebuilding, I decided that I wanted to be part of this strong and committed board and know that, by working together, we will advance tribal sovereignty and usher in a new era of self-determination.” The move follows the departure of Aaron Payment, chairperson of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians who had to vacate the NCAI position after being censured by his tribe’s board of directors.
Real estate
• The Bureau of Indian Affairs within the Department of the Interior approved land-leasing regulations submitted by seven federally recognized tribes under the HEARTH Act. The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Montana, Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe in Nevada, Tule River Indian Tribe in California, and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in Texas now have the authority to govern and manage the leasing of their trust land and restricted fee lands. The move speeds up the process for leases by foregoing a requirement for the deals to be reviewed by the Secretary of the Department of the Interior. “The HEARTH Act recognizes that Tribal governments are best suited to determine when and in what ways their lands should be utilized for the benefit of their peoples,” Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Bryan Newland said in a statement. “Those with approved regulations are better positioned to act on their decisions without having to wait on the Department to process their leases. For Tribes with approved regulations, the HEARTH Act is a way for them to achieve greater self-determination and sovereignty over their lands.” To date, 73 tribal nations have had land-leasing regulations approved under the HEARTH Act and 16 are awaiting approvals.
Gaming
• Shelton, Wash.-based Little Creek Casino Resort, a gaming enterprise of the Squaxin Island Tribe, began offering retail sports betting within the property on Feb. 1, according to a report in The Olympian. The tribe inked a partnership with International Game Technology to open the Little Creek Sportsbook, which includes eight betting kiosks and a range of amenities.
• The Spokane Tribe of Indians has partnered with Caesars Entertainment Inc. to offer a retail sportsbook at the Spokane Tribe Casino in Airway Heights, Wash. The plans include opening a Caesars Sportsbook within the casino to offer retail sports betting. The retail sportsbook will also feature a new dining option as part of the dedicated space within the casino. “As we look toward the completion of our first phase of expansion, this partnership is an important component for us as a growing casino,” Spokane Tribe of Indians Chairwoman Carol Evans said in a statement. The tribe aims to open the expansion in time to welcome bets on the Super Bowl.
