Urban Indian Policy Roundtable - Rural Dynamics

Economic Development
Roundtable I: Great Falls
Facilitator: Tara Veazey
Participants: Keith Bailey, Jason Smith, Daniel Pocha, Melvin Swan, Leonard Smith, Erich
Bourgault, Susan Ockert, James Parker Shield, Marla Hagen, Luke Walawander, Rep. Jesse
O’Hara (R)
To highlight what currently exists, the economic development group discussed the $7000 entrepreneurship
grants given per tribe from the Montana Department of Commerce (however, this has not been accessible to
urban Indians), 10 small business development centers across the state, and work underway for the receipt of
Native American tax credits and the development of a financial resource catalog for entrepreneurs. However,
outreach highlighting these opportunities among urban Indian communities is virtually nonexistent.
For other issues to be addressed, the group identified three main areas: lack of accessible resources, insufficient
awareness of resources, and too few people having economic development backgrounds, which in itself
forms an implicit barrier to access. In addition to these concerns, James Parker Shield, Director of War Shield
Development, asserted that there must be “a pool of funds for both urban and reservation Indians to avoid
competition.”
Recommendations
1.
2.
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Increase funding for urban Indian economic development by amending state and federal policies to
recognize all Indians (state and federally recognized)—living on tribal reservations and in urban centers.
Desired outcome at the state and national levels: Pass legislation to increase urban Indian access to
economic development funding.
Increase contract opportunities for Disadvantaged and Minority-Owned Businesses through the reinstitution
of set-aside percentages for Native American businesses.
Desired outcome statewide: Reform policies within state agencies to guarantee greater employment
security for urban Indian businesses.