To create systemic economic change, First Nations Development Institute works with Native American communities in reclaiming direct control of their assets. Working directly with grassroots community partners, individuals and tribes, First Nations Development Institute supports and provides Native asset development strategies and models to help communities understand, create and control the way in which Native assets are valued, as well as the decision making process in deciding whether to monetize those assets.
First Nations, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, First Nations Oweesta Corporation, work with reservation and rural Indian communities to create and support community development financial institutions, Native businesses and tribal programs with early stage investments and capitalization to stimulate business growth through new financial models, products and services. Through entrepreneurship and business development projects targeted at both the tribal (macro) and individual (micro) levels, First Nations Development Institute creates and supports sustainable economic development in Native communities.
The goal of this project is to provide an innovative approach to agricultural business education at tribal colleges to promote tribal economic development through small agri-businesses on reservations. First Nations Development Institute will work closely with the First American Land-Grant College & Organization Network (FALCON), an advisory group of tribal college instructors, to develop a model for small business/agri-business curriculum at tribal colleges.
Agri-Entrepreneurship Programs at Tribal Colleges
First Nations Development Institute produced a research report on the opportunities and challenges of delivering pilot agri-business curriculum at tribal colleges on four American Indian reservations in Montana. Each tribal college conducted market analyses to gather input from beginning farmers and ranchers on their interest in using the curriculum, and the methods of education delivery that will be most helpful to them. First Nations partnered with the Fort Belknap College (FBC) extension program, which provides services to identify the health and education needs of the Fort Belknap Indian community. The FBC program includes helping agricultural producers increase their knowledge of livestock production and to make sound agricultural decisions.
First Nations Oweesta Corporation
In order to focus on the capitalization and development of emerging Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs), the board of directors of First Nations Development Institute incorporated First Nations Oweesta Corporation as a wholly owned subsidiary in 1999. The organization's sound stewardship directly contributed to the rapid development of certified Native CDFIs. For more than 10 years, Oweesta has been part of some 200 total awards to the Native institutions, totaling tens of millions of dollars in fruitful investment in Indian Country. Oweesta focuses on CDFI development by offering expert training and customized follow-up assistance, and by providing loans to qualifying organizations, enabling them to reinvest the capital back into their communities.
The Northwest Native Capital Peer Group
In 2009, ONABEN and Enterprise Cascadia partnered to launch an initiative to assist an emerging tribal financial and business development organization in the Pacific Northwest. ONABEN and Enterprise Cascadia have worked with more than 21 Native organizations and formed two additional partnerships with First Nations Development Institute and First Nations Oweesta Corporation.
The partnering organizations established an informal peer group, the Northwest Native Capital Peer Group, whose primary purpose is to develop Native capital sources that support the expansion of entrepreneurship, private sector development and family asset building. First Nations Development Institute recently had the opportunity to interview one of the participants for the Northwest Native Capital Peer Group, Diana Pickernell, who is a loan coordinator for the Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund. Diana teaches financial education, and her professional background includes bookkeeping and participating in training with the Opportunity Finance Network.
First Nations: When did you become involved in the peer group? And, how has it helped you professionally and personally?
Diana: I became a member in 2008. The peer group has helped immensely just by becoming established. The current Native CDFIs, as well as the trainings that were involved, have helped a lot. An example is underwriting training, which I am still learning as a loan coordinator.
First Nations: What have you found most beneficial in the meetings and trainings?
Diana: What has been beneficial is how the group sets our own agenda, and we all help each other out, such as sharing of forms and such. I also think that when individuals within the peer group do presentations from their own program, this is very beneficial. It lets me know if I am missing a link to my program or not.
First Nations: Is there anything you would like to share about your experiences with the peer group?
Diana: I enjoy the networking each time there is a meeting. I am also learning something new and I use it to the best of my ability.
Kellogg MI Tribal Assets Outreach project
First Nations will host a regional convening in 2012 to introduce the 11 Michigan tribes to the benefits of integrated asset-building and the potential for a tribal asset-building coalition. Asset-building plans will be developed to serve the tribes and moved forward to strengthen Native family economic security in Michigan. Having assets can help Native families get through financial emergencies, plan for the future, and create opportunities for their children.
Native Asset Building Partnership Project in Minnesota
The Department of Natural Resources for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Sovereign Power Inc. have both brought different expertise and experience to this partnership, which has focused on alternative energy development, including wind and solar and various forest management practices. In 2010, representatives from this partnership held their third annual on the Mille Lacs reservation in Onamia, Minnesota. The main topic of discussion was woody biofuel production, taking into consideration that biomass power is the largest source of renewable energy. Woody biomass consists of trees and woody plants, including limbs, tops, needles, leaves, and other woody parts, grown in a forest, woodland, or rangeland environment, and that are the by-products of forest management. Discussion at this meeting focused on the necessary steps for woody biomass production, including business approaches and cultural considerations to making biomass production work on Indian lands.
Native Asset Building Partnership Project
First Nations Development Institute launched the Native Asset-Building Partnership Project (NABPP) to help tribes develop tools and infrastructure for control of their assets. The NABPP is geared to strengthen tribal institutions in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota through peer learning and model development that will lead to improved control and management of assets for the benefit of Native communities and individuals. First Nations' goal is to foster partnerships between tribes and allow them to share best practices for asset stewardship and management.
White Earth Investment Initiative
White Earth Investment Initiative is a community development financial institution serving the White Earth Indian reservation. In 2010, with the assistance of a grant from First Nations, the White Earth Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site prepared more than 500 free tax returns and partnered with a local community college to recruit volunteer students from an accounting course. The White Earth VITA site was able to bring back $1.3 million in refunds to the reservation in 2010, and saved customers nearly $125,000 in tax preparation fees.
Navajo Western Agency Agribusiness
First Nations Development Institute was awarded a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's Office of Advocacy and Outreach, Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers. In partnership with North Leupp Family Farm, we are working with Chapters located within the geographic borders of the Western Agency of the Navajo Nation. The purpose of the program is to reverse the decline of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers across the United States. We are encouraging and assisting socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to own and operate their own farms and ranches, allowing them to become an integral part of the agricultural community and strengthening the rural economy.
North Leupp Family Farm Project Story
The North Leupp Family Farm (NLFF) is a community-based and supported sustainable agricultural project located in Leupp, Arizona on the Navajo reservation. NLFF has been providing 1/2 acre plots to local farmers for more than 30 years. The North Leupp Family Farm is developing a comprehensive solution to address deficiencies in the local food systems, encouraging healthy lifestyles, and promoting and improving food security of the Diné Nation. With support from First Nations, the North Leupp Family Farm was able to expand agricultural capacity, support development of agriculture-based micro-enterprise, and develop new approaches to organic farming.
Private Equity for Native Small Business Development
One of the biggest road blocks to business development in Native American communities is the lack of capital (debt or equity) for small, emerging businesses. To address this problem, First Nations Development Institute partnered with the Ewing & Marion Kauffman Foundation to explore the creation of a private equity vehicle to address the shortage of high-risk, start-up, and/or working capital for emerging and growing small businesses in Indian Country. Through this project, First Nations is identifying an appropriate equity structure, as well as the scalability and replication of a venture capital-like fund for Indian Country. The project will result in the creation of regional, state, and/or tribal affiliate group models that serve both reservation-based and urban Indian entrepreneurs.
Faces and Stories of Native Economic Development: A Profile on Dana Bumgarner
Dana Bumgarner, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian reservation in Oregon and owner of Cayuse Country Flowers & Gifts, has loved flowers all of her life. It has been her dream to work with them and share her passion for this art right in her own community. She started her floral gift shop in 2006 on the Umatilla reservation to provide fresh cut flowers, floral arrangements, plants, gift baskets, and other gift items to individuals and businesses. She originally began working out of her home, but with her success over the past few years, she has expanded to additional space on the reservation. Dana is a self-taught florist, and she designs her floral arrangements and gifts by listening to the needs of her clients.
In 2010, Dana decided to enter the ONABEN business plan competition titled "Innovations in Indianpreneurship", which is a business development process, competition, and showcase for Native entrepreneurs. After the rigorous competition, Dana was awarded first place and received a monetary award sponsored by First Nations Development Institute to help support the growth and expansion of her business. She plans to open a new shop on the Umatilla reservation soon with the expansion of tribal enterprises. It is Native business owners like Dana who give us hope for the continued growth of economic sovereignty in Indian Country.
Watch a short video on the ONABEN competition and see Dana win her award.
First Nations Development Institute produced a research report on the opportunities and challenges of delivering pilot agri-business curriculum at tribal colleges on four American Indian reservations in Montana. Each tribal college conducted market analyses to gather input from beginning farmers and ranchers on their interest in using the curriculum, and the methods of education delivery that will be most helpful to them. First Nations partnered with the Fort Belknap College (FBC) extension program, which provides services to identify the health and education needs of the Fort Belknap Indian community. The FBC program includes helping agricultural producers increase their knowledge of livestock production and to make sound agricultural decisions.
The Department of Natural Resources for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Sovereign Power Inc. have both brought different expertise and experience to this partnership, which has focused on alternative energy development, including wind and solar and various forest management practices. In 2010, representatives from this partnership held their third annual on the Mille Lacs reservation in Onamia, Minnesota. The main topic of discussion was woody biofuel production, taking into consideration that biomass power is the largest source of renewable energy. Woody biomass consists of trees and woody plants, including limbs, tops, needles, leaves, and other woody parts, grown in a forest, woodland, or rangeland environment, and that are the by-products of forest management. Discussion at this meeting focused on the necessary steps for woody biomass production, including business approaches and cultural considerations to making biomass production work on Indian lands.
Dana Bumgarner, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian reservation in Oregon and owner of Cayuse Country Flowers & Gifts, has loved flowers all of her life. It has been her dream to work with them and share her passion for this art right in her own community. She started her floral gift shop in 2006 on the Umatilla reservation to provide fresh cut flowers, floral arrangements, plants, gift baskets, and other gift items to individuals and businesses. She originally began working out of her home, but with her success over the past few years, she has expanded to additional space on the reservation. Dana is a self-taught florist, and she designs her floral arrangements and gifts by listening to the needs of her clients.
