Native Insight Competition Winner: Jacquelyn Dyer

PLAN FOR A NEW NATIVE AMERICAN CENTURY

Indian people are blessed with rich cultural heritage, a gift which we have preserved, despite the adversity we have faced.  In order for the economic recovery to take place, it will be important to change the basis on which business practices were designed.  Tribes can help with this in many ways by operating businesses in a manner that coincides with traditional values.  Let’s start with an introduction of where the ideas presented here came from.

Ever since I was small my grandparents taught me about the importance of conservation.  I am water clan in Hopi, so most of my teachings had to do with water.  My grandmother would tell me to turn off the water when we brushed our teeth, and to take shorter showers.  Wasting water was disrespectful.  She would take me out to our family’s ranch to show me about the springs.  She taught me that water is living, that water is life.

When I was older one of the last conversations I had with my grandfather was about the role of my clan within this world.  He told me that he is from the bear clan and that the bear clan holds the world in their paws.  It is a great responsibility and I was part of that heritage.  He told me to take strength from my bear ancestry.

More significantly, I was born for the water clan.  He told me that it is the water clan’s responsibility to care for the water of the earth so that all life can survive.  It was at that moment that I realized where my desire to be helpful to all in this life came from.  I am Hopi and we pray for and work for all life.  This philosophy has transcended into my work amongst the business world and for economic development on the reservations.

In 2009/2010, I predict there will be periodic surges of growth in the economy.  However, this will merely hide the underlying problem in our economy for a short period of time.  A robust recovery will require a new playing field, one which must include new regulations in financial markets.  Wall Street’s insatiable greed must be replaced with a more sustainable attitude.  This is where Native values can best contribute to an economic recovery.  Native people have always cared for and thought about the welfare of future generations.  The Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy states:"In every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."

We will achieve this when all businesses are held accountable for the social costs associated with their business operations.  It should no longer be acceptable to realize profits at all costs regardless of the long-term effects on the health of people, the economy, or the availability of resources for future generations.  Perhaps we can learn a lesson from the Hopi.

Hopi Villages used to have Village criers.  Village criers would stand on top of the mesa and relay important information to the villagers.  Often they would inform people when someone needed help fixing their house, or with their fields.  This community approach to getting things done was an important way to keep the village in operation.  Tribal businesses can take the village crier approach to doing business.  Help each other and grow together, taking into consideration the benefit of all communities. 

There are several approaches that tribes can take to help turn this economy around and create a better world for doing business.  Many Tribes have invaluable resources such as forestry, energy, fisheries, water rights, eco-tourism and gaming, that can be utilized to create sustainable businesses while stimulating the US and international economies.  Business development requires an infusion of capital which can happen with innovative finance practices.

First, we should make a goal concerning the economic recovery.  “To create wealth.”  Real wealth.  Different from much of the “wealth” gained in the financial sector during the last decade.   Now let’s take that a step further and ask what changes would our ancestors perceive or appreciate as valuable?  There is little doubt to me that land would be at or near the top of their list.

After a century of neglecting tribal lands, I propose the Indian nations take a bold step and start a sustainable forestry initiative.  Forests all over the west are in desperate need of thinning and burning.  At the same time, Chevron is predicting that forest biofuels could replace up to 20% of petroleum consumption in the US.  A progressive, new forestry plan which addresses climate change through biofuels, sustainable timber harvest, prescribed burning, etc is necessary.  Natives were the original foresters of North America, using prescribed fire as an effective management tool.  This would also create new opportunities with regard to forest recreation/hunting/fishing/ecotourism.

In addition to biofuels, tribes are blessed with solar, wind and geothermal energy resources.  There are many existing projects happening on tribal lands that are in need of startup capital.  Each tribe should assess its individual ability to produce energy from various renewable resources.  Stimulus money could then be diverted towards these projects.  In this manner, tribes could make good progress towards improving the US energy supply, Native people’s independence, and the environment.

Some tribes are engaging in sustainable fishing practices by constantly monitoring fish reproduction rates and setting quotas based on those reproduction rates.  However, most tribes are still being taken advantage of by the process of fish buying in itself.  To take a fish to market, it travels through several different channels with the price increasing each time it changes hands.  During the 2009 commercial salmon fishing season on the northwest coast, fishermen were paid sometimes only $.60 per pound for the best salmon in the world.  That is an astounding price when the local market charges $16.99 per pound for fresh salmon.   Tribes with fishing rights can start their own fish processing plants which would then give them the opportunity to offer the tribal fishermen fair prices for their fish.  This fish can then be sold on the open market, offering good profit margins to the Tribes because the channel of distribution would be minimized.  The fish processing plants can also be utilized for food processing in the off-season.  Food processing could offer local farmers a decent avenue to sell their goods.

Water rights present a great way for tribes to utilize their resources to aid in the economic recovery.  Most native people are traditionally organic farmers of some sort, even the Hopi’s living in the desert in Northern Arizona.  We are learning that chemical farming has far reaching negative effects on society.  Tribes could engage in organic and sustainable agricultural practices.  This would provide much needed fresh foods and jobs to tribal members.  The goods can be marketed as “Native Organically Grown” to provide income for the Tribes.  The goods could be sold on the international market at a discounted price by utilizing the sovereign nature of tribal governments.

Gaming was always a controversial issue for me until I worked for a gaming tribe.  I learned that it is providing an important source of income for many Tribes.  I also learned that there is an opportunity to manage the money in a more efficient manner.  By doing so, the money can be used as leverage for many other economic opportunities to ensure future prosperity.  For example, the money can be used to provide seed capital for small business ventures for Tribal members or to buy land.  Tribal small business ventures would create a demand for goods, thus stimulating the economy.  Buying land increases the land base by which tribes could promote sustainable ways of living.

Eco-tourism presents a wonderful opportunity to bring money into local communities while teaching others about our important traditional ways of life.  This is represented in ecotourism’s philosophies of having minimal impact on the land and cultivating the teachings of our ancestors.  Arts and crafts have always been a big part of my family, and I have learned that this is pretty standard across Indian Country.  People around the world are searching for more meaningful travel experiences.  Nature tours and cultural experiences present a good way to fill this desire.   Authentic Indian art makes the perfect souvenir.

Making all this happen requires capital.  For small businesses, Native American community development financial institutions (CDFI) provide a perfect source for entrepreneurs to obtain low interest, non-traditional financing.   CDFIs also provide financial education classes, small business success coaching, and credit builder services.  As the saying goes, it takes money to make money.  It is also important to learn how to manage the money so it will continue to grow.

Native Americans can absolutely play an important role in the US and international economic recovery.  To do so we must incorporate our traditional teachings of sustainability and respect for the earth into our economic plans.  This will help improve the stability of our economy while preserving life for future generations to come.

Usquali (Thank you).


* This was a winning essay from the recent "Native Insight" competition sponsored by the Alaska Federation of Natives organization.

Nearly 300 Native thinkers from across the nation submitted "Native Insight" essays about the economy and prospects for recovery. Women submitted 58 percent of the 280 eligible Native Insight entries, and men submitted 40 percent. Alaska Natives made up 32 percent of the applicant pool, with American Indians submitting 48 percent of the entries, and Native Hawaiians 16 percent.

The competition was open to Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and American Indians of all ages. The 500-1,600 word essays were due September 15, 2009. Essays addressed one or more of three writing prompts focused on how the Native community can support economic renewal, what it will take for the American economy to rebound and what the American leadership can do to jumpstart recovery.

The Native Insight Winners’, Finalists’ and Semi-Finalists’ ideas will be shared with members of the Obama Administration and published here at nativetimes.com as well as other Native news outlets.