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2023 Center for Indian Country Development Webinar Series: Opportunities and Barriers in Native Federal Contracting

June 21, 2023 @ 3:30 pm 5:00 pm CDT

Upper image is of a female welder, bottom image showcases two people in a restaurant kitchen.

In 2023, the Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is hosting Cultivating Native Economies in the 21st Century, a webinar series to provide tribal leaders, policymakers, and practitioners with information they can use to strengthen and expand Indian Country economic development. We invite you to join us June 21 for the inaugural event focused on federal contracting in Indian Country—its trends, opportunities, and barriers, and its potential for driving revenue and employment that contribute to an economy that works for all.

Over the last 40 years, Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs), Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs), and federally recognized tribes have increasingly done business with the world’s largest procurer of goods and services: the U.S. government. Recent research from CICD found that all three Native entity types have seen growth in federal contracting revenue. Federal contracting is the primary source of revenue for ANCs and NHOs and the second-largest source for tribes, following gaming. Despite this growth, Native entities’ revenue from federal contracting remains a small share of all federal contracting revenue.

Our June 21 webinar will explore opportunities for Native entities to advance economic prosperity through federal contracting—and barriers to accessing and succeeding with federal contracting. Subject matter experts from national Native organizations and the federal government will discuss federal contracting’s role in economic development. Representatives from ANCs, NHOs, and tribal enterprises will then share their experiences in the industry.

We hope you’ll be part of this important conversation.

Speakers

Michael “Keawe” Anderson (Native Hawaiian), Nakupuna Companies

Jacqui Baldwin-LeClair, CICD, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Jeremy Berg, Bodwé Professional Services, Mno-Bmadsen

Jackson Brossy (Navajo Nation), U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Native American Affairs; CICD Leadership Council

Katherine Carlton (Inupiat, shareholder of Chugach Alaska Corporation), Chugach Education Services, Inc., and Chugach Training and Educational Solutions, LLC

Chris James (Cherokee), National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development; CICD Leadership Council

Casey Lozar (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), CICD, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Chad Marchand (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation), Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Elijah Moreno (Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation), CICD, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Lillian Sparks Robinson (Rosebud Sioux Tribe), Native American Contractors Association; Wopila Consulting, LLC; National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development board

Alene Tchourumoff, Community Development and Engagement, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Agenda


3:30-3:35 pm CT

Welcome, Overview, and Introductions

Speakers:

  • Casey Lozar (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), CICD, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
  • Alene TchourumoffCommunity Development and Engagement, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

3:35-3:37 pm CT

Opening Blessing

3:37-3:50 pm CT

Federal Contracting Overview

Presenter: Elijah Moreno (Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation), CICD, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

3:50-4:20 pm CT

Panel: Federal Contracting and Tribal Economic Development

Moderator: Chad Marchand (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation), Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Panelists:

  • Jackson Brossy (Navajo Nation), U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Native American Affairs
  • Chris James (Cherokee), National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development
  • Lillian Sparks Robinson (Rosebud Sioux Tribe), Native American Contractors Association; Wopila Consulting, LLC

4:20-4:30 pm CT

Closing Remarks and Transition

4:30-4:57 pm CT

Native Entity Panel: Entry, Growth, and Diversification in Federal Contracting

Moderator: Jacqui Baldwin-LeClair, CICD, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Panelists:

  • Katherine Carlton (Inupiat, shareholder of Chugach Alaska Corporation), Chugach Education Services, Inc., and Chugach Training and Educational Solutions, LLC
  • Michael “Keawe” Anderson (Native Hawaiian), Nakupuna Companies
  • Jeremy BergBodwé Professional Services, Mno-Bmadsen

4:57-5:00 pm CT

Closing Remarks and Preview of Coming Events

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