Entries by terry

Water plays a key role in economic development for Native American communities

Managing water resources here in the arid Southwest has always been an issue. For the most part, annual rainfall and runoff from snowpack in the mountains have never been enough by themselves to meet the demand of burgeoning economic activity and ever-growing populations, even before the recent drought and climate change began to impact the […]

The advantages of locating a commercial building on Native American land

When looking for new sites, food processing facilities typically want to be in operation in 6-12 months. To reduce the time involved, companies often limit their search to sites with existing buildings that can be retrofitted, but may be less than ideal in the long-term. Concentrating a site search only on conventional locations may lead […]

10 things to ask before starting a business on tribal land

In order to assess whether or not your business or development project is a good fit for a tribal location, here are 10 key questions to ask the tribal representative: What cultural traditions and values are important to your tribe as it relates to economic development? Most tribes will entertain projects that align with their […]

Tips for opening a business on Arizona’s Native American reservations

In Arizona, there are 22 federally recognized Native American tribes, communities, or nations, which encompass thousands of acres of land and ample opportunity for many private businesses to develop or locate on a reservation. Yet, many commercial developers, realtors and site selectors are unfamiliar with the process and potential benefits. Here are the basics: Can […]