- Details
- By Brian Edwards
- Finance
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach traveled to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation last week for his first visit to a Montana reservation since taking office — a trip that offered a firsthand look at the opportunities and barriers shaping economic development in Indian Country.
In Episode 6 of Difference Makers 3.0, host Brian Edwards and Native CDFI Network CEO Pete Upton sit down with Beach during his visit to Browning, Montana, following a day of touring Native-owned businesses, meeting with tribal leaders and Native lenders, and attending a regional economic development gathering hosted by NCN and NACDC Financial Services.
The episode explores infrastructure, banking access, federal contracting, financial literacy and the challenges tribes continue to face attracting outside investment capital. Beach repeatedly returned to one central theme during the conversation: tribes already possess many of the ingredients needed for economic growth — land, sovereignty, entrepreneurial energy and strong community ties — but capital still struggles to flow into Indian Country at the scale many tribal leaders believe is possible.
The business tour included stops at Native American Bank, Jeff's Lube & Tube, an automotive and tire shop financed through Native lending programs, and Rockin' Outlaw, a Native-owned western wear and feed store serving the surrounding ranching community.
The visit also connected Beach to one of the country’s longstanding Native finance ecosystems. NACDC and its broader network trace back to the work of Eloise Cobell, whose efforts helped reshape Native lending and financial sovereignty in Indian Country.
Here are highlights from the conversation:
On what visiting the reservation taught him:
“When you come and you touch something and you feel it and you break bread with people, then you really understand it.”
On economic opportunity in Indian Country:
“I don’t think y’all realize all the opportunities you have here.”
On outside investment:
“I’ve talked to some private equity folks, and they want to invest in Indian nation, but they want to make sure that they’re protected with their investment.”
On infrastructure and growth:
“I’m a firm believer that when you build the infrastructure, the jobs will come.”
On why tribal communities may have an advantage over other rural regions:
“What y’all have is you have people that want to come back because of the culture, the traditions, the family.”
On diversification beyond gaming:
“Casinos are great ... but you don’t want all your eggs in that basket. You want to diversify.”
On his growing connection to Indian Country:
“I have embraced this, and I didn’t even know what this was about when I first got the job.”
After leaving Browning, Beach continued his tour of Indian Country with planned visits to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on the Flathead Indian Reservation and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe in Idaho.
Visit Difference Makers 3.0 to listen to the full episode and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.
