Matthew Hecox, Deputy Secretary of Commerce, discusses the $1.4B economic impact of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation which provides thousands of jobs and pays millions in wages.

Our first session this morning is Adam Crepelle’s “Lies, Damn Lies, and Federal Indian Law,” in which he walks us through the long history of legal ethics and the longer history of international trade networks in what we now call the Americas.

Huge congratulations to the six First Nations and all the project partners who worked tirelessly to establish this 6,700-sq-km reserve, one of the largest in the Great Bear Sea MPA network off the BC coast. This is a hopeful story about Indigenous-led conservation and intergenerational work 🌊🐟💙🦀🌲

Coast Funds@coastfunds.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A historic milestone for First Nations’ stewardship, conservation & the future of Canada’s oceans! 🐋 The new Mia-yaltwa Ha’lidzogm hoon National Marine Conservation Area Reserve will protect 6,700 square km of marine habitat – an area larger than Prince Edward Island. https://ow.ly/HFXO50Z4mf2

The rise of Indigenous restaurants has strengthened Native agriculture and food production. People are building the supply chains and working with local tribes to source traditional foods and Native-produced ingredients. tribalbusinessnews.com/sections/ent...

From powwow concessions to a growing Native-owned hospitality brand

Less than five years after operating a Spokane powwow concession stand, Indigenous Eats has expanded into two restaurants, a retail boutique and a $120,000 food trailer serving events across the North...

tribalbusinessnews.com

New, long-sought agreement recognizes hat the Southern Ute Tribe has “the expertise & the governance systems to manage our resources responsibly while advancing the well-being of our Tribal Members and safeguarding our land, water & culture.” lasvegassun.com/news/2026/ma...

Southern Ute Indian Tribe Celebrates Historic Signing of Tribal Energy Resource Agreement

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lasvegassun.com

"Equity is the purest form of consent." Great interview with our friend Mark Podlasly of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition on the important work they are doing to ensure infrastructure development is "environmentally and economically inclusive.” www.theglobeandmail.com/business/rob...

How Mark Podlasly was the right person in the right place at the right time for his community

The chief executive is overseeing the rapid growth of First Nations projects as Canadian infrastructure investment surges

theglobeandmail.com

Plains Indian Sign Language connected communities. Then the US gov decimated bison herds & disrupted Indigenous trade networks & the language faded. When people were confined to reserves & children taken away, Indigenous languages fell silent, including sign. canadiangeographic.ca/articles/han...

Hand talk: Reclaiming Plains Indian Sign Language

Plains Indian Sign Language was used by generations of Indigenous Peoples to communicate across languages and landscapes. Now, it’s being reclaimed.

canadiangeographic.ca

WSU prof Gladstone helps Indigenous students reconcile a cognitive dissonance — they don’t have to surrender their identity as to practice business. Their identity is a tactical resource to approach & solve business problems using an Indigenous lens. news.wsu.edu/news/2026/04...

Joseph Scott Gladstone advances global collaboration in Indigenous business research

WSU scholar Joe Gladstone is partnering with the University of Melbourne to advance global research on how Indigenous values shape business leadership, entrepreneurship, and community-focused decision...

news.wsu.edu

“An amazing history lesson. I’ve loved every minute… Understanding where we came from… as we figure out how to structure our tax system… I’m soaking it up here & I’m going back to my community to say ‘here’s what I learned.’” - ACES Participant Next event is Thursday: RezCap.eventbrite.com

Reservation Capitalism: Sovereignty and Prosperity

From question to answers: the legal foundations of economic development in Indian Country

rezcap.eventbrite.com

This is a great profile by the Oregon State Bar of our esteemed colleague and friend, Prof. Bob Miller, who is as personable, funny, and kind as he is accomplished. www.osbar.org/bulletin/iss...

“Adam Crepelle has dedicated his professional life to bring economic development to Indian Reservations. His career has a strong emphasis on tribal sovereignty.” natlawreview.com/press-releas...

Bill McNutt and Adam Crepelle to Receive National Awards from State Funeral for War Veterans at World War II Museum

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natlawreview.com

“For a long time, economic development in Indian Country has been like someone coming into your kitchen and deciding what’s for dinner. What’s different about this deal is… the community gets to decide what’s on the menu.... Like a Native potluck.” This is what #FiscalPower looks like.

The ACES School@acesschool.bsky.social · 4mo ago

A new financing model is emerging in Indian Country. The “capital weave” connects Native lenders from different communities to develop infrastructure. The ripple effects of creating infrastructure foster economic development and sovereignty. Listen for more: www.buzzsprout.com/2352819/epis...

Interested in AI and/or linguistic diversity? On this episode of the @lifewithmachines.bsky.social podcast, @baratunde.com talks to @runningwolf.bsky.social about data sovereignty and revitalizing Indigenous languages. youtu.be/Dz5pyprA5KA

Indigenous AI Researcher Discusses Decolonizing AI & Dying Languages | Full Episode

YouTube video by Baratunde Thurston

youtu.be

Breaking promises to the Blackfeet & Chippewa Cree nations, USDA claims it’s because farming programs “involved discriminatory preferences based on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.” Tribal citizenship is a political classification, not a racial one. nativenewsonline.net/sovereignty/...

Tribes In Montana Lose Millions After USDA Kills Farm Grants

Montana-based awardees called the terminations ‘devastating’ — and based on a false presumption that tribal initiatives fall under Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

nativenewsonline.net