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People on the move in Indian Country

25 July 2026 Tribal Business News Staff

Leadership changes across Indian Country this week include appointments in Native housing, tribal gaming, cultural sovereignty, law, public policy and economic development.

New land tracker pilot reveals cost of rebuilding tribal land bases

01 Aug

Minnesota tribes paid an estimated $7 million in property taxes on tribally owned fee land in 2023, according to a new Center for Indian Country Development analysis that highlights one of the...

Justice Department approves $400M settlement with Alaska Native health consortium

July 24

The Justice Department has authorized a $400 million settlement with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, resolving a dispute over contract support costs tied to federally funded healthcare...

California approves $25M loan for Quartz Valley landback deal

August 01

Following a resolution by the California State Water Resources Board, the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation is poised to acquire nearly 40,000 acres of ancestral land in the Klamath River Basin....

Yurok Tribe breaks ground on $37M behavioral health center

July 24

The Yurok Tribe has broken ground on a $37 million treatment center that anchors a broader expansion of tribally operated behavioral health services in rural Northern California.

DOE makes $218.5M available for tribal home energy rebate program

The U.S. Department of Energy announced that it will make up to $218.5 available to federally recognized tribes and corporations for energy efficiency upgrades for tribal homes.

Sponsored Storytelling

The missing data in the prediction market debate

Prediction markets — platforms where people stake money on the outcome of elections, sports, economic reports and other future events — are rapidly reshaping the online wagering landscape. They're...

Native organizations seek to preserve cornerstone economic development program

Economic Development

For more than three decades, tribes and Native organizations have relied on a little-known federal grant program to launch Native financial institutions, develop tribal commercial codes and support long-term economic development planning. Now, that program may be disappearing.

From powwow concessions to a growing Native-owned hospitality brand

Indigenous Entrepreneurs

For many restaurant startups, a food truck is the first step toward opening a brick-and-mortar location. For Indigenous Eats, it happened in reverse.

PODCAST: Native CDFI leaders reflect on progress, policy and what's next

Finance

The Native CDFI movement continued to build momentum during the first half of 2026, even as shifting federal priorities created new challenges for Native lenders and the communities they serve.

Q+A: Sam Flores on building sustainable EMS systems in tribal communities

Sponsored Storytelling

In many rural tribal communities, providing timely emergency medical services can be a challenge. Long travel distances, workforce shortages, and limited healthcare infrastructure can make it...

New Mexico tribes seek injunction to block Kalshi on tribal lands

Gaming

Four New Mexico tribes asked a federal judge for a preliminary injunction blocking prediction market operator Kalshi from offering sports‑event contracts on their lands, saying the company is conducting class III gaming without authorization under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Q+A: Farm Bill proposals fall short of tribes’ push for long-term forestry authority

Food | Agriculture

Federal support for tribal forestry could fall short of Indian Country priorities if either of two proposed Farm Bill packages moves forward unmodified.

Supreme Court declines Chinook bid for federal recognition through courts

Sovereignty

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the Chinook Indian Nation’s petition on whether federal courts can recognize Indian tribes.

Oneida Indian Nation opens first phase of $400M Turning Stone expansion

Real Estate

The Oneida Indian Nation has opened the first phase of its $400 million Turning Stone Evolution project, adding a 258-room hotel, a signature restaurant and a health clinic as it expands the resort's tourism, hospitality and convention business.

Why We’re Paying Attention to Prediction Markets

Sponsored Storytelling

As a Native law student and young professional engaged in tribal governance, gaming and federal Indian law, we have been paying close attention to the rapid rise of prediction markets and the debate...

Defense Department pauses next phase of CMMC 2.0 cybersecurity rollout

Native Contracting

The U.S. Department of Defense has suspended implementation of Phase II of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 program, delaying new cybersecurity certification requirements that were scheduled to take effect Nov. 10 while officials conduct a 60-day review of the program.

Tribal heritage projects eligible for up to $100K in federal funding through NPS program

Arts and Culture

The National Park Service is providing grants of up to $100,000 for federally recognized tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations working on cultural and historic preservation projects.

Colville Tribes sign record $8.4M athletics sponsorship with Washington State

Higher Education

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have signed an $8.43 million, five-year sponsorship agreement with Washington State University Athletics, marking the largest annual sponsorship in the athletic department's history.

Kent Paul reflects on 25 years helping build Native American Bank

Sponsored Storytelling

As Native American Bank nears 25 years, outgoing Board Chairman Kent Paul looks back on the tribally-owned bank's growth and mission.

Disney Cruise Line signs 15-year agreement with Huna Totem for Icy Strait Point

Tourism

Disney Cruise Line and Huna Totem Corporation have signed a 15-year agreement securing Disney ship calls at the Alaska Native corporation's Icy Strait Point through at least 2041, extending a partnership that provides long-term passenger traffic for the Indigenous-owned cruise destination.

Coyote Valley Band turns to solar carports to cut power costs nearly in half

Energy | Environment

A California tribe expects to cut its electricity costs nearly in half after completing a 2.23‑megawatt solar carport project that required no upfront tribal capital.

Rosebud Sioux Tribe plans $4.6M behavioral health center with $5.4M in foundation support

Health Care

The Rosebud Sioux Tribe plans to build a $4.6 million outpatient behavioral health treatment center, expanding tribally operated mental health and substance use services on the Rosebud Reservation.

The SBA’s 8(a) program gave the Navajo Nation a chance to compete

Opinion | Op-Ed

Guest opinion. Not long ago, Diné Development Corporation, a Navajo Nation-owned enterprise, was under such financial strain that making payroll wasn’t guaranteed. Today, it employs hundreds of people and competes in some of the most demanding areas of federal IT and cybersecurity contracting.

From the Crow Nation to the Courtroom: Celina Stops Makes History at Boyd School of Law

Sponsored Storytelling

LAS VEGAS, NV - When Celina Stops arrived at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she was pursuing more than a law degree. She was stepping into territory that...

Senate panel advances Alaska Native landless communities bill

Policy and Law

The Alaska Native Landless Equity Act has advanced to the Senate floor after clearing the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, marking the furthest progress yet for legislation aimed at Native villages excluded under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

Most Recent

New land tracker pilot reveals cost of rebuilding tribal land bases

California approves $25M loan for Quartz Valley landback deal

People on the move in Indian Country

DOE makes $218.5M available for tribal home energy rebate program

New Mexico tribes seek injunction to block Kalshi on tribal lands