A canvas of the for-profit sector in Northwest and Upper Midwest Native communities

While the for-profit sector in Native communities may not fit traditional, mainstream economic models, it plays an important role in promoting economic change. Sweet Grass partnered with First Nations Development Institute and Northwest Area Foundation to explore entrepreneurial opportunities and barriers across Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin. To gain a general understanding of the for-profit sector within the 75 tribes of the Northwest Area Foundation’s eight-state region, this report examines two key aspects: 1) tribally owned enterprises; and 2) the ways communities are supporting individual entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial development and growth.

Publication year: 2016

Author: Michael Brydge and Andrea Mader