Remaking the Economy: Economic Justice in Indian Country

NPQ kicks off the 2021-22 season of our Remaking the Economy series in Indian Country. In partnership with the First Nations Development Institute (“First Nations”), we bring three leading Indigenous economic justice leaders who will speak to their work and the challenges they face in a discussion-style format. Our panelists are:

Heather Fleming (Navajo) is executive director of Change Labs, the only business incubator and accelerator on Navajo land. Fleming works with Hopi and Navajo (Diné) citizens to create a supportive business ecosystem for Native entrepreneurs.

Jaime Gloshay (Navajo/White Mountain Apache/Kiowa) is Co-Director of Building and Impact at Native Women Lead, a group that supports and invests in Native Women in business.

Lakota Vogel (Cheyenne River Sioux) is CEO of Four Bands Community Loan Fund, a community development financial institution (CDFI) in South Dakota. The CDFI she leads is redesigning lending to enable Native residents to build homes on trust lands.

This webinar explores:

• What does economic justice in Indian Country look like? How do Native economic values differ from those typically espoused in US discourse?
• How does ongoing colonialism constrain economic development? What levers are Native leaders using to build self-sufficiency and economic sovereignty?
• What are some of the key components of a Native economic development ecosystem? How does one go about filling the gaps that exist?
• What are some leading examples of successful Native-owned businesses?
• What are the 5Cs of credit? Why does the traditional credit system fail to meet the needs of Native communities? What might an alternative look like?
• What will it take to put trust lands to work for Native American benefit? Why are present remedies like “loan guarantees” inadequate?
• What steps can nonprofits and philanthropy take to support Native leaders?