Tribal Business News

Major shifts in Indian gaming this month show both collaboration and competition: —Seminole Tribe turns former litigation opponents into partners for Hard Rock Bet platform —Ione Band makes history with first-ever tribal-REIT casino financing deal —Mystic Lake modernizes bingo hall while extending Vikings NFL partnership to 2035 —Agua Caliente Band partners with Palm Springs International Airport —Mohegan Gaming partners with AI firm to enhance customer experience —California tribes prepare to challenge sweepstakes operators. From unexpected alliances to protective measures, tribes continue to reshape gaming's landscape. Read our latest Tribal Business News roundup on these industry-changing developments. #TribalGaming #Gaming #BusinessPartnerships #IndianCountry

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are tackling one of renewable energy's biggest challenges head-on with an $857M transmission line upgrade. The project could unlock vast renewable potential on their Oregon reservation while bringing new jobs and education opportunities to tribal members. Tribal Business News has the story. #TribalEnergy #RenewableEnergy #TribalEconomy

SPONSORED Meet Jamie Ann Bell (Ahtna Athabascan), who discovered baking was the perfect blend of her love for science and creativity. Starting with a homemade baby shower cake, she and business partner Linnaea Ward-Develice built Arctic Moon Bakery from scratch. Despite a pandemic derailing their initial funding and forcing them into a high-interest loan, they persevered. Thanks to Cook Inlet Lending Center, a Native CDFI, they refinanced at 3% and now supply Alaska's largest coffee producer and local airlines with their treats. From navigating black bears to deliver mountain wedding cakes to shipping celebration cakes to remote villages, Arctic Moon Bakery is a testament to Native entrepreneurship and community support.

The USDA announced $34 million in new funding across three grant programs to support sustainable wood products, construction & renewable energy projects, Tribal Business News reports. Tribes, local governments and businesses are eligible to apply for funding that could support new sawmills, manufacturing and more. Applications due Dec. 11. #TribalForestry #NativeBusiness #Tribal Economy

The NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is investing $240M to help tribal salmon hatcheries from California to Alaska. The Lummi Nation's story shows how vital these facilities are: as fish vanish from their rivers, their hatcheries helped grow their Chinook salmon from just 9 fish in 2015 to 3,000 by 2021. These hatcheries aren't just preserving salmon populations — they're protecting cultural traditions and fulfilling treaty promises. The first $54M in grant funding is already flowing to 27 tribes, with more available in 2025. Tribal Business News has this story. #TribalHatcheries #SalmonConservation #IndigenousRights

Pacific Northwest tribes once joked about walking across rivers on the backs of countless salmon. Now, with fish populations plummeting, 27 tribes from California to Alaska will receive $240M in federal funding to modernize their hatcheries and protect this vital resource for future generations. Tribal Business News has the story. #SalmonRecovery #TribalRights #Conservation

Native cannabis businesses are blooming, but banking barriers and regulatory issues threaten their growth — and tribal sovereignty. Tribal Business News has this report. https://lnkd.in/eMYP4Ssh

The USDA has awarded $111M to six Native-led conservation projects through its Regional Conservation Partnership Program, Tribal Business News reports. Key initiatives include: -$64M to Intertribal Buffalo Council for grassland restoration -$25M to Navajo Nation for solar water systems -$9M to Ute Mountain Tribe for irrigation upgrades Additional projects support river restoration and sustainable agriculture in Native communities. #IndianCountry #Sustainability #TribalNations #Conservation #USDA

Some notes on President Biden's visit to Gila River Indian Community today. It illustrates how his decades of experience in Indian Country - from Senate to White House - has shaped his understanding of tribal relations. His historic apology for federal boarding schools came alongside a report on billions in investments, reflecting a relationship built on both resources and respect: for sovereignty, for treaties, and for nation-to-nation partnerships. While Indian Country remains divided on some of his administration's decisions, he's set a new bar for nation-to-nation relationships between the U.S. government and sovereign tribal nations.

Date correction alert! The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) webinar on the $25 million tribal renewable energy funding opportunity is on October 24, not the 25th as we wrote in this story. Our bad! Don't miss this important event detailing new pre-development funding for tribal projects. See you on the correct date: Oct. 24!