Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 11, 1 November 2016 — Healthy economies strengthen native nations [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Healthy economies strengthen native nations

By Lindsay Kukona Pakele ndigenous self-determination and eeonomie development allow native nations to exercise greater control over their futures and improve their people's well-being. Native nations

that effectively utilize the benefits of formal recognition show how healthy economies empower native governments to better care for their people and develop solutions to many socioeconomic issues plaguing their communities. A spotlight on four indigenous nations - three located in the U.S. and one located in Aotearoa - illustrates how strong economies produce even stronger nations that have abundant resources and an increased capacity to provide for and improve the lives of their people. Citizen Potawatomi Nation The Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN) is a feder-

ally recognized native nation that uses selfdetermination and eeonomie development to improve its citizens' lives. During the 1970s, the CPN only had 2.5 acres of trust

land and $500, but a 2015 report shows the CPN recentlyhada$540 million impact on

Oklahoma. The growth is attributed to sound govemanee and business decisions CPN made. The CPN has been involved in a variety of business enterprises including the largest tribally-owned bank and grocery store in the U.S., a community development corporation and two gaming facilities to name a few. The CPN uses profits from these businesses to invest in education, housing, health care and social services. The 20 15 report revealed that the CPN directly supported 2,100 jobs, paid $78.6 million in wages and benefits and spent more than $212 million on loeal goods and services. Its tribal programs filled 171,000 prescriptions, served more than 20,000 meals to the elderly and assisted over 20,000 families with training, education and nutrition services. CPN awarded $4. 1 million in scholarships, gave $252,000 to Oklahoma schools, and

donated more than $2.2 million to loeal eommunity organizations. Ngāi Tahu In 1998, Ngāi Tahu, a Māori iwi (tribe), received a $170 million settlement and its asset base now

stands at $1.2 hillion with over $320 million distributed for tribal programs. The settlement eame from the Ngāi Tahu elaim against the Crown for Treaty of Waitangi breaches.

The Māori tribe later received subsequent sums from fisheries, aquaculture and relativity settlements valued at $152 million. Several entities (Ngāi Tahu tribal eouneil, Ngāi Tahu Charitable Trust, Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporation Ltd, and its subsidiary companies) are involved in eeonomie development and improving lives. Together these entities engage in investing, farming, property development and management, and seafood and tourism businesses. Annual distributions from these operations fund higher education grants and scholarships, marae projects, cultural projects and other programs that advance tribal members' well-being. Winnebago Tribe The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska is federally recognized and formed Ho-Chunk, Ine. in

1994 as a wholly-owned tribal corporation to diversify its investments. Investment diversification was important for the tribe's long-term eeonomie prosperity and self-sufficiency goals. In 2015, Ho-Chunk, Inc.'s revenues totaled over $257 million, it had a combined total net ineome

of $15.8 million, and made over $3 million in total dividends to the tribe. Ho-Chunk Ine. now has over 1,200 employees and operations in 21 states and 9 countries. Ho-Chunk Ine. serves the eommunity's needs in muhiple ways including college scholarships, a summer internship program, an academic development program and making donations to the Winnebago community and tribe. From 2000 to 2014, the corporation contributed more than $53 million to the Winnebago community. Ho-Chunk, Ine. has had significant social impacts: in 2013, children living in poverty declined from 44.2 percent to 33.1 percent, 12th grade enrollment at

Winnebago School grew by 93.3 percent, and between 2000 and 2013, median household ineome rose by 61 percent and homeownership climbed by 4.6 percent on the reservation. Seminole Tribe The Seminole Tribe of

Florida is federally recognized, and has a federally chartered corporation of the same name (Seminole Tribe of Florida, Ine.), and uses revenues to fund tribal social services (heahh and welfare, puhlie safety, education and other services), cultural projects, eeonomie development projects as well as per capita distributions to tribal members. In 2007, the tribe bought Hard Rock International for $965 million, whieh was the largest purchase of a corporation by an indigenous nahon. While the tribal council's eeonomie development projects include Hard Rock, it also subsidizes the tribal corporation's projects. The tribal corporation has been involved in cattle, citrus and sugarcane, smoke shops, cultural tourism and other endeavors. The Seminole's eeonomie development successes have made it one of the most successful native entities in the U.S.; the tribe employs more than 7,000 employees and purchases more than $130 million in goods and services eaeh year. In 2015, the tribe made about $2.4 hillion in total revenues. ■

Strong economies produce even stronger nations ... to provide for and improve the lives of their people.

HEALĪH

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Seminole Tribe of Florida Tourism and Enterprises - Courtesy: Seminole īribe ofFlorida

Seminole Family at the Hollywood lndian Reservation; Dania, Florida. - Courtesy: Florida Memory