MESA, AZ – Yesterday, 14 prominent Native organizations – led by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development – shared a joint brief titled “Tribal Economic Development: Indian Country’s Policy Priorities for the Federal Government” with key members of the incoming Trump administration’s transition team.
The comprehensive brief featured 38 consensus-based policy priorities for the administration and its various federal agencies across several topical categories, including: Increasing Indian Country’s Access to Capital and Credit, Tax Fairness for Tribal Economic Development & Growth, Enhancing Marketplace Competitiveness for Indian Country Businesses, Native-Owned Small Business Development, Tribal Land & Energy Development, and Growing Native Food Economies. As the brief explains, its included priorities will “enhance and grow the federal government’s support of Tribal Nations as they build and sustain vibrant economies that benefit not just Native people, but all Americans.”
The brief also outlined several policies and regulations – several of which were signed into law during the first Trump administration – that have supported economy-building efforts in Native communities. In the coming weeks and months, The National Center will work with its brief partners to inform Trump administration officials about these policy priorities and advocate for their implementation. The National Center also encourages tribal leaders and advocates to use the brief in its advocacy efforts with the new administration.
The transition team policy brief follows up earlier and similar collaborative efforts to develop policy priorities for both Congress and the administration, issued in November 2023 and updated in March 2024. Those briefs are also available on The National Center’s policy and advocacy webpage.
