Native american tribal

Native American Tribes Increase Giving
Articles By Darryl Noble

As some Native American tribes have begun to prosper, they have also been able to increase their giving. Tribes give to many groups and not just their own tribal members. Giving from tribes is nothing new. In 1847 the Choctaw's, who had recently been forced to move from Mississippi to Oklahoma, drew up a collection of $170 to provide relief to the Irish during the Great Potato Famine. This during a time when many Choctaw's were struggling to survive. But now that some tribes are prospering, that giving spirit is able to be more active.

A nice trend is the tribe-to-tribe help. Not all tribes are geographically situated to take advantage of certain economic development endeavors. So, it is nice to see that tribes that have certain advantages provide help for other tribes. A fairly recent example of this assistance is the help the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma received from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. The Shakopee's provide over a million dollars so the Kiowa's could purchase Indian City in Anadarko, Oklahoma. Indian City is a long time tourist attraction that also has grounds the Kiowa's use for ceremonials. It came up for sale and the Shakopee's provided a grant so the Kiowa's could purchase the land and attractions.

While all tribes endeavor to help their own tribal members, some provide certain help to all Native Americans. Both the Cherokee's and Citizen Potawatomi in Oklahoma have assistance available for Native American entrepreneurs. The Cherokee's open their small business development center to all Native entrepreneurs. The Citizen Potawatomi have a business capital lending program that is open all Native entrepreneurs. Of course, to make use of these programs a Native business owner should be in relative geographical proximity.

Not all giving is limited to Native Americans. Tribes also give a lot to local communities. Cherokee Nation Enterprises gave Nintendo Wii systems to a local senior care center to keep help keep seniors physically active. In the 2009 Christmas season the Choctaw's gave food, clothes, and Christmas presents to various charities. That same Christmas season the Citizen Potawatomi employees gave $50,000 to the United Way. These are just a small examples of tribal giving that extends year around.