AS-IA Bryan Newland highlights Indian Country investments at The Gathering Business Summit

Native Commerce News is sponsored by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma (AICCO), dedicated to expanding Indian Country commerce across the globe. 

Written By: Rachael Schuit

(CHOCTAW NATION) The Gathering Business Summit, dedicated to supporting Indian Country business, entrepreneurship, and economic development, boasted two days of industry and government leaders this year, including a keynote speech by Assistant Secretary - Interior Affairs Bryan Newland.

Newland, a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, kicked things off by highlighting the historic $45 billion investment into Tribal communities by the Biden-Harris Administration.

“This money means high speed internet in our community for people who want to start businesses or operate businesses online or live at home and work remotely for companies or Tribes across the country,” Newland said. “It means new school construction, Boys and Girls clubs–all sorts of things.”

Newland also emphasized the growth of the Buy Indian Act, noting the Department of the Interior has increased procurement from Indian-owned firms by more than $1 billion per year. 

“When this administration came into office, the Department of the Interior was purchasing about $300 million in goods and services from Indian-owned firms,” Newland said. “We, for the first time, put new regulations in effect to facilitate the Buy Indian ACT Program here at the Department of the Interior.”

Additionally, Newland discussed the 105 (l) lease program under the Indian Self Determination Education and Assistance Act, which supports economic development and entrepreneurship in Indian Country. This program allows Tribal Entities to receive funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for infrastructure costs related to building essential facilities like schools and healthcare centers.

He also offered an optimistic view of the future for Indian Country. 

“We have a lot of really, really talented people in our communities,” Newland said. “Brilliant kids in our schools who can really come up with the next startup…the next advancement in medical technology, but who don't get the opportunity to see the field because, too often, every day, they're just trying to survive. So, my vision for the future of economic development in Indian Country is to create that baseline…so those really talented people in our communities can see the field.” 

Newland also fielded questions live at the conference, including one from Native Strategies CEO and President Steven Hollabaugh about water quality and transportation initiatives.

Newland said they have been working with the Federal Highways Administration Department of Transportation to make sure that the funds that Congress has appropriated in infrastructure law can get spent on things like new bridges in Indian Country and redesigning culverts and roads in some dangerous areas.

“We do have some focused initiatives on water quality in a few places with funding that's been provided through some of these laws that I've mentioned,” Newland said. “One of the places we've done this, for example, is with the Hopi tribe. Helping them to complete the arsenic mitigation program there so that they have drinking water in their communities that is free of the arsenic that occurs in a lot of the shallow aquifers there. We also partner with the Indian Health Service, which does a lot of the drinking water sanitation facilities, and make sure that our process isn't slowing them down.”

The Gathering Business Summit is held each year by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma. In addition to presentations and panels, this year’s event also included a free Gathering Trade Show, B2B matchmaking, and a variety of other networking opportunities.

Learn more at https://aiccok.org/events/business-summit/