Today, we’re wrapping up the workshop with our Adventures in Indian Country panel feat. Justice Drent, Prof. Crepelle, & Dr. Austin. There are many stories from Indian Country about lost potential. How can Native nations develop & retain talent, secure investment & foster Native entrepreneurship?

Miller’s elements of private sector development: 1. Financial literacy 2. Human capital 3. Create entrepreneurs 4. Funding private biz 5. Tribal & federal Buy Indian acts 6. Legal infrastructure   7. Physical infrastructure  8. Human & financial capital investments   9. Social welfare orgs

“Poverty is not a cultural trait.” Prof. Miller reminds us that traditional Indigenous communities were prosperous and self-sustaining.

“We do not have a song for defeat.” Good morning from the Cowlitz Nation. We are grateful to the Forever People for hosting us this week.

WT* Does HR Have to Do With Making Money? Alejandra Mojado (Cherokee Nation) explores legal considerations in employment practices, workplace compliance, and personnel management that affect organizational stability and economic success.

Joe Austin’s session focuses on tribal code reform as an important first step toward private sector development in Indian Country. He takes us on the Byzantine journey of starting a business on the Navajo Nation. The costly, complicated process => fewer services for people who live on reservation.

Chief Justice Meredith Trent (Osage Nation) examines the role of tribal courts in economic development, variations among tribal courts, dispute resolution options, and best practices for a sound investment climate.

Is there hope for an ethical federal Indian law? Prof. Crepelle ends with a hopeful note. Some recent precedent, especially since Gorsuch joined SCOTUS, suggest a brighter future. “On the far end of the Trail of Tears was a promise.” - Justice Gorsuch, McGirt v. Oklahoma, 2020

Teddy Roosevelt comes up a lot when discussing the questionable ethics underpinning federal Indian law. As POTUS he transferred millions of acres of land from tribal jurisdiction to the national forest system. He used the power vested in him by the Dawes Act to subdivide tribal communal lands.

Adam Crepelle (Houma Nation) explores the history of legal ethics, the evolution of federal Indian law, and whether it is ethical to uphold racist law and policy.

Good morning from the Cowlitz Nation where we are kicking off Reservation Capitalism, a two-day workshop exploring ways to restore sovereignty and prosperity to Native nations.

“An amazing history lesson. I’ve loved every minute… Understanding where we came from… as we figure out how to structure our tax system… I’m soaking it up here & I’m going back to my community to say ‘here’s what I learned.’” - ACES Participant Next event is Thursday: RezCap.eventbrite.com

Stunning! We’ll be there later this week.

This is a great profile by the Oregon State Bar of our esteemed colleague and friend, Prof. Bob Miller, who is as personable, funny, and kind as he is accomplished. www.osbar.org/bulletin/iss...

A new financing model is emerging in Indian Country. The “capital weave” connects Native lenders from different communities to develop infrastructure. The ripple effects of creating infrastructure foster economic development and sovereignty. Listen for more: www.buzzsprout.com/2352819/epis...

Breaking promises to the Blackfeet & Chippewa Cree nations, USDA claims it’s because farming programs “involved discriminatory preferences based on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.” Tribal citizenship is a political classification, not a racial one. nativenewsonline.net/sovereignty/...

The key to unlocking Indian country’s potential is greater tribal autonomy. April 16-17 Join us at ilani on the Cowlitz reservation to meet the author and connect with others working to foster prosperity for Native nations. Earn CLE credits in OR & WA RezCap.eventbrite.com

How do legal institutions shape economic opportunity in Indian Country? Join leading scholars, tribal judges, and practitioners for a two-day CLE program exploring how tribal law, governance, and justice systems influence economic development on reservations. rezcap.eventbrite.com

Reservation Capitalism April 16-17 at the ilani Ridgefield, WA Join us to meet the authors, earn CLE credits, and connect with others doing business in Indian Country. Register today at RezCap.eventbrite.com

How do legal institutions shape economic opportunity in Indian Country? Join us next month on the Cowlitz Indian Reservation in for a two-day program exploring discussing economic development on reservations. CLE credits are available for WA and OR. rezcap.eventbrite.com

How do legal institutions shape economic opportunity in Indian Country? Join us April 16-17 at ilani Casino & Resort in Ridgefield, WA 9.5 CLE credits approved in OR 9.5 CLE credits pending in WA rezcap.eventbrite.com

Tobin Beal, Citizen-Choctaw Nation, is the CTO of NISEYA. Beal has 25+ yrs of experience in IT, software development & executive leadership. He’ll share knowledge of transactional & logistics systems at Doing Business on Tribal Lands, March 18-19 at Royal River Casino in SD. Join us!

March 18-19, the ACES School and the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe present Doing Business on Tribal Lands

Let us rise as one people, all nations & all generations & across every division that others have tried to place btwn us. Let’s build a movement that is bold, relentless & unstoppable. Let’s protect our sovereignty, not just for today, but for all time Mark Macarro open.substack.com/pub/marktrah...

Despite all the headlines about Denmark, Greenland is governed by Indigenous people. The population is 90% Inuit who have never stopped fighting for their sovereignty. Through a voter referendum, they took over their courts, natural resources, police and language in 2009.

Indian country commerce generates tens of billion$ annually and is a constant source of litigation. Adam Crepelle argues that revitalizing the Indian Commerce Clause would resolve jurisdictional chaos and foster better relations between tribes and states. northwesternlawreview.org/issues/apply...

Adam Crepelle talked about the challenges of predatory state policies and underscored the importance of clear tribal codes to encourage private sector development on reservations. Thanks to our informed and engaged audience for a robust Q&A.

Good morning from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation where the coffee is ready and we are assembled for the 7th annual All Roads Lead to Chaco Canyon conference.

What is sovereignty? “I'm not talking about the colonized mind. I'm not talking about the white people's thinking. What is sovereignty in your own thinking? Your own culture? That's what we need to think about." Prof. Raymond Austin www.navajoeship.org/all-roads-vi...

For some of us, every day is #IndigenousPeoplesDay

WA Supreme Court upholds Stillaguamish sovereignty, property rights. Justice Mungia dissents: “Not from the majority's opinion… from the racism embedded in the federal case law that applies to this dispute.” www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf...

How can Native nations harness technology for sovereignty and prosperity? Join The ACES School November 6-7 at Foxwoods Resort Casino on the Mashantucket Tribal Pequot Nation. #ReservationEconomics #IndianCountry #DigitalTrade

At All Roads Lead to Chaco Canyon: Navigating Streams of the Digital Economy you’ll learn about digital ways of doing business & how to harness tech for governance & economic development. Join us & our hosts the Mashantucket Pequot Nation at Foxwoods Nov 6-7. nativenewsonline.net/sponsored-co...

Was Nixon the best president American Indian tribes have ever had? He ended the termination era, recognized tribes as governments, and was the first president to return land. Adam Crepelle discusses Becoming Nations Again with Bruce Carson @myhist.bsky.social

Nov 6-7, experts in fintech, crypto & AI will gather at Mashantucket, one of the longest continually occupied Native reservations in North America, for the 7th annual All Roads Lead to Chaco Canyon conference: Navigating Streams of the Digital Economy. www.nativenewsonline.net/sponsored-co...

Ceremonies create moments & moments create memories. In pre-literate societies, ceremonies punctuated trade deals & peace treaties. In this video, Adam explains the importance of passing the calumet (ceremonial pipe) to commence negotiations & cement transactions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8xr...

How can tribes harness digital markets to bypass traditional barriers and foster economic growth? Reservation Economics Thursday, Sept 25 8 am - 5 pm Texas Native Health Dallas TX Co-hosts: Native American Business Association - NABA Register: www.nativeamericanbusinessassociation.org/networking

The Cherokee Nation has established AI policy design to ensure AI its "citizens are informed." Current projects include "3D-printed turtle shells for stomp dance regalia," eliminating "the need to use real animals while maintaining cultural traditions." tribalbusinessnews.com/sections/art...

Do you do business in Indian Country? Do you want to increase business opportunities in Indian Country? Join us in Connecticut in November to learn how. www.eventbrite.com/e/all-roads-...

We’re teaming up with the Native American Business Association for the Reservation Economics Conference. Join us Thursday, September 25 at Texas Native Health Register today: www.nativeamericanbusinessassociation.org/networking #ReservationEconomics #ProfessionalNetworking #BusinessStrategy

This move undermines sovereignty for Native nations. New Interior policy requires “personal approval from Secretary Doug Burgum for all solar and wind projects” creating “a bureaucratic bottleneck that could kill” tribal development. tribalbusinessnews.com/sections/ene...

“The Omaha Tribe is not waiting on broken systems to deliver,” Omaha Tribal Attorney General John Cartier said in a statement. “We are asserting our sovereign right to govern, protect our community, and build a sustainable economy that reflects our values.” tribalbusinessnews.com/sections/foo...

The US National Archives has conserved and digitized the 374 Ratified Indian Treaties in its holdings. Examine original documents spanning more than a century with the Indigenous Digital Archive’s Treaties Explorer: digitreaties.org/treaties

“My hope is that, in the next few generations, tribes become sovereign economic entities in their own right.” @runningwolf.bsky.social on how Indigenized AI, language revitalization, and data sovereignty might shape our future. lifewithmachines.media/podcast/can-...

“The Administration’s decision to terminate these commitments echoes the federal government’s historic pattern of broken promises to tribes,” Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chair Gerald Lewis said in a statement. www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Are you in DC this week? ACES School co-founder Adam Crepelle will be at the Competitive Enterprise Institute to discuss his new book Becoming Nations Again: The Journey Towards Tribal Self-Determination. Wed, June 18 12:30 – 2:00 pm Luncheon followed by book forum. cei.org/event/cei-bo...

Breakfast of champions! (Champions of sovereignty and prosperity for Native nations.)

Good morning from Gila River Indian Community. It’s another beautiful day for Tribal Commercial Law Training.

“Today was an amazing history lesson. I’ve loved every minute of it…. Understanding where we came from… as we figure out how to structure our tax system… I’m soaking it up here and I’m going back to my community to say ‘here’s what I learned.’” #ParticipantFeedback

Third speaker of the day: attorney, judge, ACES co-founder, and member of the Navajo Nation Jaseph Austin on tribal code reform to facilitate economic development trade. The rule of law, foundational for building (or rebuilding) nations, is not new to the Native peoples of North America.