Many Americans have never been to a Native American reservation. They’re often geographically isolated and underdeveloped, perpetually left off the various lists of tourism destinations. With sparse and scattered populations, tribal governments have faced many obstacles in exploring economic development, including high unemployment and infrastructural deficiencies. This creates a cycle of poverty and dependence that has continued for decades.

To break this cycle, tribes have worked long and hard to solve their shared problems, taking action when possible to bring development resources to their reservations. Every step forward has been a step toward strengthening our institutions of tribal government and creating strong partnerships with other governments and business partners. These partnerships are important to our well-being as we move forward...