Tribal College Contributions to Local Economic Development

IV. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS“In the end, the issue is empowerment.”— Paul Boyer, 1989Sovereign Indian nations are composed of four overlappingattributes: a secure land base, a functioningeconomy, self-government, and cultural vitality. All attributesmust be maintained and developed for tribes’ continuedautonomy (NCSL, 1998). Although the policy of selfdeterminationis making economic development on Indianreservations possible, it does not guarantee success (Cornelland Kalt, 1991). Tribal Colleges contribute to strengtheningall four of these aspects—by encouraging land development,economic growth, community leadership, and thepreservation of tribal traditions.The success of recent initiatives, particularly the encouragementof entrepreneurs and small businesses, help disprovethe long-held assumption that economic development is incompatiblewith tribal cultures (Boyer, 1997). In fact, theintegration of cultural values is essential for the success ofeconomic development efforts. The Rural Community CollegeInitiative found that Tribal Colleges are good examplesof the kind of community development that is needed:Giving close attention to the incorporation of Indianvalues and local traditions . . . in entrepreneurial training,they are building economic capacity from communitystrengths rather than deficiencies. They promoteeconomic self-determination without destroying traditionalculture (Eller et al., 1998, p. 14).Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that the early signsof economic progress and the movement toward self-determinationshould not mean an end to outside support. Significantbarriers remain to economic development on reservations,and building skills and technical expertise andencouraging entrepreneurship will not be enough if morejobs do not become available. A broad-based, diversifiedeconomy—including small business, manufacturing, agriculture,and more—is necessary to ensure long-term success(Boyer, 1997).Given these considerations, there are several stepspolicymakers and other leaders can take to support andadvance Tribal Colleges’ efforts in community development:Land continues to be one of the greatest resources ofreservation communities. Through targeted educationand training and information dissemination, TribalColleges can help tribes become self-sufficient in themanagement of their land and natural resources. Tobolster these endeavors, federal policymakers must appropriatefunds under the land-grant legislation at theauthorized levels. At the same time, the authorized levelsshould be reexamined to ensure that they allow foran equitable distribution of resources.The integration of Tribal Colleges’ development effortswith broader initiatives, such as the Tribal Business InformationCenters, are essential to building a foundationfor small business growth and entrepreneurshipon reservations. Policymakers must continue to fundsuch initiatives, recognizing the success they have hadthus far with only limited resources.To assist in creating sustainable reservation communities,the Tribal Colleges must collaborate with a rangeof partners in regional development. The colleges alreadyhave created ties to each other through such avenuesas the Montana Tribal Business Information Network,which links business centers at the Tribal Collegesin Montana. Cooperative relationships with otherland-grant institutions and institutions that serve large