NAFSA Joins Other Native Organizations in Support of Jobs for Tribes Act
At the request of Rep. Norma Torres (D- CA), NAFSA joined other prominent Native organizations, including the National Congress of American Indians, Native American Contractors Association, United South and Eastern Tribes, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, Coalition of Large Tribes, and the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, in supporting the recently introduced Jobs for Tribes Act.
The Jobs for Tribes Act is a combination of a few bills that had previously worked through the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, including the Native American Business Incubators Act and the Indian Community Economic Enhancement Act. The Act is co-sponsored by Reps. Torres and Tom Cole (R- OK).
Highlights from the bill include the creation and funding of an Office of Native American Business Development at the U.S. Department of Commerce, a business incubator program run through the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, and enhancements to the loan guarantee program and Native community financial development institutions.
In a press release touting the Act, Rep. Torres said, “The high rates of poverty and unemployment facing Native American communities are cause for unified action. This legislation will empower tribes and boost indigenous peoples ability to help themselves and their families prosper. It’s time we come together to support commerce in Indian Country by backing them with the tools they need to tap into their entrepreneurial spirit and stimulate job creation.”
Rep. Cole, the co-chair of the Native American Caucus and member of the Chickasaw Nation, added, “Indian Country has been a critical part of our nation’s economy for years. Many tribes have had success in entrepreneurship and in businesses large and small. Providing economic and infrastructure assistance for tribal communities will help strengthen their ability to become self-sufficient and develop commercial growth. Native American-owned enterprises have contributed enormously to the American economy, and I am proud to support this legislation to help these businesses continue to flourish.”
An important component of NAFSA’s mission is to “provide better economic opportunity in Indian Country for the benefit of tribal communities.” A key way to fulfilling our mission is through support of vital legislation. The Jobs for Tribes Act is just one of the many bills concerning Indian Country to receive bipartisan support recently in Congress, with the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs also advancing legislation on tribal energy development, employment training, and language education.
