Indigenous Governance Database
economic diversification
Four Bands Community Fund
As a nonprofit organization and a Native community development financial institution (CDFI) certified by the U.S. Treasury, Four Bands Community Fund continuously strives to achieve its mission of creating economic opportunity by helping people build strong and sustainable small businesses and…
Membertou: Accountable to the Community
Leaders of Membertou First nation explain how a high level of accountability to citizens and partners has been key to its success in both governance and business.
Ramona Band of Cahuilla
Chairman Manuel Hamilton discusses his tribe's endeavors to become self-sustaining.
Building a More Sustainable Future on Cheyenne River
This brief video showcases five of Four Bands Community Fund's loan clients who have used their loan proceeds to advance green and social entrepreneur concepts on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.
The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development and its Application to Canadian Aboriginal Business
This lecture is part of a course Stephen Cornell is teaching in Simon Fraser University's Executive MBA in Aboriginal Business and Leadership program. A panel of three joined Dr. Cornell in a discussion about the building of First Nation economies and the role citizen entrepreneurship can play in…
The Best Practices in Rural Alberta Project
The Best Practices in Rural Alberta Project culminated in September 2012, after two and a half years of community engagement; research into the examination of leadership strengths and practices; incredible youth development; and video capture in preparation for a documentary film. This documentary…
Smoke Traders
Told from a Native perspective, "Smoke Traders" looks at the controversy ignited by the Mohawk Nation's involvement in the tobacco trade, raising issues of sovereignty, economic independence and entrepreneurship versus what some see as illegal contraband activity. The multi-million dollar cigarette…
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
This video, produced by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, provides a brief overview of the nation's history, from its push to achieve federal recognition to its efforts to create a diversified, sustainable economy.
PBS "We Shall Remain": Enterprise in Indian Country
Indian Country is experiencing an economic resurgence despite decades of dependence on the federal government. Though the per capita income of Native Americans living on reservations is still less than half the national average, tribes across the country are building economies with a diverse range…
Melvin L. Sheldon: Refining Our United Vision
Melvin L. Sheldon, Chairman of the Tulalip Tribes, provides an overview of Tulalip's building of a sustainable, diversified economy, and discusses some of the important steps Tulalip took to create a commercial environment capable of supporting business success.
Forwarding First Nation Goals Through Enterprise Ownership: The Mikisew Group Of Companies
The Mikisew Group of Companies (Mikisew Group) is the business arm of the Mikisew Cree First Nation (MCFN). Founded in 1991 using monies from a $26.6 million land claim settlement with the governments of Alberta and Canada, it has achieved remarkable success. This success is evident in the wide…
Native Entrepreneurship in South Dakota: A Deeper Look
Native Entrepreneurship in South Dakota: a Deeper Look is designed to raise the profile of Native entrepreneurship in South Dakota and offer lessons for policymakers, foundations, tribes, and non-profits in developing effective policies and strategies. The research identified the following key…
Best Practices Case Study (Economic Realization): Hupacasath First Nation
When Hupacasath Chief Judith Sayers and the council decided to harness the power running through their lands, the result was a best practices model of how to build a small hydro project. Widespread opposition to the Duke Point natural gas facility in the late '90s was the impetus for the council to…