As we head into 2026, the pressures shaping tribal economies will feel familiar — but the ground beneath them has shifted. From energy and tax certainty to Native finance and federal contracting, here are key storylines @tribalbiz.bsky.social will be tracking. tribalbusinessnews.com/sections/eco...

TOP 10: From budget cuts and federal grant freezes to major developments like the Seminole Tribe's $826M jury award and Lumbee federal recognition — these were the stories that shaped 2025. See what our readers followed most closely.

EPA terminates $7B Solar for All program, eliminating $500M+ for tribal energy projects, TribalBiz reports. MTERA's Daniel Wiggins Jr.: "Pulling this money out from under us isn't just devastating to the tribes, but to the communities and regions where those tribes reside."

JUST IN: The Mohegan Tribe is reportedly selling the Connecticut Sun for $325M — the largest price ever for a WNBA team, TribalBiz reports. The Sun will relocate to Boston in 2027, ending 20 years of pioneering tribal ownership.

BREAKING: Tribal gaming sets new record: $43.9B in FY24 revenue (+4.6% growth), TribalBiz reports. 4th consecutive record year, $2B increase over FY23. Supporting tribal sovereignty & economic development across 243 tribes #TribalGaming #IndianCountry

26 bipartisan senators demand White House release $324M in delayed CDFI funding, TribalBiz reports. At stake: $28M for Native American lenders serving communities where 46% of areas are banking deserts—12x the national rate.

Institute of American Indian Arts names Dr. Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo) as next president, TribalBiz reports. Former NEH chair brings federal-level experience to Santa Fe university dedicated to Indigenous arts education. Effective Aug. 1.

Chicago's Native American community blesses land for Jigzibik, the city's first Native American-focused affordable housing project, TribalBiz reports.

NANA Regional Corporation receives 28,000 acres in federal land transfer, TribalBiz reports. Parcels located near Ambler Road mining corridor with high-grade copper, zinc, gold deposits. The process that began in the 1970s nears completion.

USDA terminates National Intertribal Food Business Center, ending $25M program for Native farmers, @TribalBiz reports. Existing grants will be honored through May 2026, but the agency says the program “should not have been established in this manner in the first place.”

July's People on the Move: New leaders at Navajo Gaming, Wind River Development Fund, and national Native bar associations, plus Choctaw Nation honors 12 businesses with Chahtapreneur Awards. 🏆 #NativeLeadership #IndianCountry

Scotts Valley Band accuses rival tribe of influencing Interior Dept's reversal of Vallejo casino approval, TribalBiz reports. Band claims Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation provided draft language and pressured officials.

Potter Valley Tribe reclaims 48 acres of ancestral land in Mendocino County through rarely used federal conservation program, @TribalBiz reports. Third tribe nationwide to use USDA community forest program.

Congress just made tribal clean energy projects much harder. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act accelerates phaseout of key tax credits, cuts loan programs & creates impossible 2-year timelines for work that takes 5+ years.

Rose McFadden turned trauma into triumph, building Isabella Rose Design Co. after a mortar attack ended her Army career. The Navajo veteran creates stunning jewelry while uplifting Indigenous communities & showing her daughter that resilience builds dreams. TribalBiz has the story.

A Lakota-led workforce development program in Rapid City, S.D. is training young adults in traditional buffalo care and butchering while building food sovereignty. Sacred Storm Buffalo has distributed 50,000 pounds of buffalo products in just six months. TribalBiz has the story.

The Trump admin wants to claw back $24M from Native CDFIs—and eliminate their only dedicated funding program next year. In this Tribal Biz op-ed, Native CDFI Network CEO Pete Upton urges Congress: protect what’s working. #NACA #NativeCDFIs #TribalEconomies

Osage Nation opened a drone testing facility in Tulsa — the first step in a $500M aerospace investment, TribalBiz reports. Engineers will soon be testing drones in simulated weather conditions as the tribe positions itself a projected $792B market.

Oklahoma tribes generated $23 billion in economic impact in 2023 while employing nearly 140,000 people, representing a massive $4.9 billion increase from 2019 and proving tribal nations are now driving the state's economic growth, @TribalBiz reports.

“These scammers used tribal identity — without any real connection to tribes — to market fake credits. And most people, including in Indian Country, didn't even know it was happening.” Read the TribalBiz Q+A with Sen. Cortez Masto

The Trump admin plans to eliminate vital Native CDFI funding despite the program's success. 69 Native lenders serve banking deserts across Indian Country where mainstream banks won't operate. TribalBiz has this report.

Trump withdraws from $1B Columbia River Basin agreement with Northwest tribes and states designed to restore salmon and support tribal clean energy, TribalBiz reports. Tribal leaders call it another "broken promise" that undermines energy sovereignty.

A Florida couple filed a Palm Beach County lawsuit seeking to recover $1.6 million paid for ‘tribal tax credits’ that the IRS has said don't exist. Lawmakers are investigating, too. TribalBiz has the story.

Poarch Creek Indians Federal acquires Street Legal Industries, adding federal infrastructure contracts and capabilities. Second acquisition in recent months expands PCI Federal's capabilities in defense, energy & civilian agency work. TribalBiz has the news.

Cherokee Nation will pay employees $2,000-$5,000 for college degrees under a new workforce development program. Policy covers degrees from past 5 years + future education for 5,800+ government workers, TribalBiz reports.

EXCLUSIVE: Sens. Cortez Masto & Murkowski to introduce bipartisan Tribal Tax and Investment Reform Act, TribalBiz reports. Bill would: -Expand tribal bond authority -Create $175M annual tax credits -Aim for tax parity with states/local govts tribalbusinessnews.com/sections/fin...

Alaska Native Huna Totem Corporation partners with Indigenous-owned Kuuk Water to eliminate 15,000 lbs of plastic waste at cruise destinations, TribalBiz reports. Native-led sustainability in action. 🌊♻️

Cherokee Federal wins $69.4M FAA contract for weather systems at 500+ airports nationwide. Third consecutive award in this sector for the Cherokee Nation-owned company. Manufacturing at Pryor, OK facility will add ~15 jobs, TribalBiz reports.

Yurok Tribe completes California's largest land-back deal, acquiring 47,100 acres along Klamath River in $56M transfer, TribalBiz reports.

Eight Oglala Lakota women completed Red Cloud Renewable’s solar installation training program. Native women represent <1% of the renewable energy workforce. BRIDGE program provides housing, childcare support & connects graduates with employers, TribalBiz reports.

Local government officials in Sonoma County have joined the legal challenge against Koi Nation's proposed Shiloh Resort & Casino, raising questions about federal environmental review processes for tribal gaming developments on newly acquired trust lands, TribalBiz reports.

The Trump administration ended a USDA program that dozens of tribal food banks say has helped them provide fresh, locally produced food that is important to their traditions and cultures. Story via @propublica.org #FoodSovereignty #NativeHealth

Shinnecock Nation purchases 8-acre parcel in Hampton Bays, N.Y. — first ancestral land privately regained in 400+ years. The acquisition concludes a 6-year effort and marks a milestone in tribal land restoration, TribalBiz reports. tribalbusinessnews.com/sections/rea...

Pechanga Resort Casino extends San Diego arena naming rights through 2026. The venue generated $29.1M in ticket sales in 2024, part of growing trend of tribal enterprise-sports venue partnerships, TribalBiz reports.

Appeals court revives tribal lawsuit against SunZia transmission line. Tohono O'odham Nation and San Carlos Apache Tribe say feds failed to properly consult on culturally significant San Pedro Valley before approving 550-mile project, TribalBiz reports.

Bipartisan Senate bill would expand tribal lending access by cutting CDFI bond program minimum from $100M to $25M, TribalBiz reports. 69 Native CDFIs currently serve underbanked tribal communities with a default rate that's half that of traditional banks.

Indigenous media veteran Katie Oyan returns to IndiJ Public Media as CEO. The former AP exec previously led its ICT news brand through pandemic coverage and now faces new challenges as the organization adapts to a turbulent media landscape. TribalBiz has the story.

Jackson Brossy, who helped spur Native American lending expansion at SBA during the Biden administration, joins Huntington Bank's Indian Country financial services team as VP.

SBA confirms Trump's DEI executive order does NOT apply to Native American programs, TribalBiz reports. 8(a) contracting, SBA loans, and business development services for AI/ANs remain protected based on tribal sovereignty & federal trust obligations.

National Bankers Association Report: 20 Native-owned banks tripled their assets to $9B since 2018, using culturally-informed lending that actually works. They fund ceremonies, accept tribal payments as collateral, and boosted life expectancy in their communities. TribalBiz has the story.

The next digital highway for tribal nations could flow through their water pipes. TribalBiz has the story.

Native leaders on the move this month: Rockefeller Foundation Big Bets Fellow Paul Huberty working on Indigenous economic sovereignty, three women executives joining IndigenizedNRG, and appointments across tribal gaming, finance & nonprofits. Leadership driving change in Indian Country.

Climate funding hangs in the balance as green banks fight EPA grant termination in federal court, TribalBiz reports. Money remains frozen in accounts as legal battle continues. Green bank lawyer: "We're just going to leave and aren't going to come back" if funding is lost.

HUD allocates $1.1B for tribal housing in FY25, matching last year. But Trump's FY2026 budget proposal would eliminate competitive grants & cut formula funding by ~30%., TribalBiz reports. Tribal leaders call housing "vital to generational wealth."

Oceti Sakowin Power Authority releases first-ever handbook for tribes navigating renewable energy tax credits, TribalBiz reports. The free guide demystifies how Native nations can claim up to 70% of project costs, addressing a critical knowledge gap in #IndianCountry

Tribal casinos face $4.9M price tag for data breaches, and it's expected to hit $5M by 2025, according to experts on a recent webinar. Recent attacks have shut down casinos at Lower Sioux and Sault Ste. Marie tribes, with hacks spreading to tribal government networks, TribalBiz reports

📉 Cuts to CDFIs. ❌ Canceled grants. 🤝 Vanishing federal relationships. Chris James of @NCAIED breaks down how Trump-era policies are hitting Indian Country—and where he still sees room to work together. Q&A via TribalBiz

Senate Indian Affairs Committee challenges HHS Secretary Kennedy on $1 billion in cuts to Native health programs without tribal consultation. Tribal leaders report critical services being disrupted as regional offices close, @nativenewsonline.bsky.social reports. #TribalHealth #IndianCountry

United Keetoowah Band receives federal approval for gaming regulations and signs Oklahoma gaming compact, advancing plans to resume casino operations despite past disputes with Cherokee Nation, TribalBiz reports.

Trump's budget slashes $475M+ from tribal housing programs, completely cuts Native Hawaiian housing grants, and eliminates competitive funding tribes depend on, TribalBiz reports. "Tribes are going to have an even harder time maintaining their housing stock," warns a tribal housing administrator.