How North America’s Indigenous People can Grow & Prosper

How North America’s Indigenous People can Grow & Prosper

By

Terrance H. Booth, Sr. – Nishwilgun – Tsimshian

No one knows it better than North America’s Indigenous People that their social and economies are not growing and prospering.  When did the governments of Canada and United State of America provide meaningful legislation to take the Indigenous of North America out of poverty? 

The poverty facts concerning Canada: “Amidst incredible wealth, more than 3.5 million Canadian live in poverty. In fact, poverty is increasing for youth, workers, young families and immigrants and people of colour in this country. Poverty in Aboriginal groups remains appallingly high, both on and off reserve. While Canada officially ranks an impressive 4th on the UN Human Development Index, the statistics measuring poverty in Canada's Aboriginal communities would place us 78th—a ranking currently held by Peru.

The inherited poverty facing our youth is especially emergent. On average, one in every ten children in Canada struggles to have their basic needs met. In First Nations and Inuit communities, one in every four children grows up in poverty. More than twenty years after the House of Commons passed a resolution to eliminate poverty among Canadian children by the year 2000; our government has failed to take any meaningful action in this direction. [1] 

Written in 2010: “Half of Canada's First Nations children are living in poverty, triple the national average, according to a new analysis of census statistics that pegs the cost of easing the problem at $580-million a year. “Canada cannot and need not allow yet another generation of indigenous citizens to languish in poverty," the study states.” [2]

"Failure to act will result in a more difficult, less productive, and shorter life for indigenous children.” [3]

Overall impact of First Nations in poverty: “Poverty has an impact on and cost to society as a whole, from greater demands on the health care and criminal justice systems, to diminished workplace and economic productivity, to harmful and unwholesome divisions in society based on economic status and “class.” In dollar terms, this loss to Canada has been estimated to range from $72 to $86 billion annually, and is estimated to cost every individual over $2000 annually.” [4] 

For the United State poverty among Indian reservations: The official poverty rate on reservations is 28.4 percent, compared with 15.3 nationally. Thirty-six percent of families with children are below the poverty line on reservations, compared with 9.2 percent of families nationally. [5] These figures are absolute poverty rates as determined by the US Census. In 2010, the poverty threshold for a family of four with two children was $22,113.[6] Some reservations in Washington, California, Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arizona, and New Mexico fare worst, with more than 60 percent of residents living in poverty.[7]

“The truth is that health care is merely one example of the way we consistently deprive Native American communities of the services they desperately need. A 2003 study by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found that, per capita, Native Americans receive disproportionately lower funding than the general population for federally administered services and programs. This means that for every essential service our government agrees to provide for its citizens – including basic law enforcement, education, and infrastructure – Native Americans get less than any other segment of society.” [8]

Each tribe of North America has a story and some stories go untold for both countries of North American their history points out their insensitivities, non-responsiveness, completely ignoring the social and economic plights of North American’s Indigenous Peoples.  Any person of the North American continent simply has to go through the archives of both Canadian Government and USA Government way back when both countries started and see testimony after testimony on the governmental treatment and government relationship toward North America’s Indigenous Peoples. 

What is being said of tribal economic development:  What is being said about tribal economic development and how are they succeeding? Professor Robert Miller writes, “Any viable economy comprises different components. Miller builds upon the historical and current background that he has reviewed to describe the roles of tribes, individual Indian entrepreneurs, and non-Indian investors and businesses in a reservation economy. If there is a bottom line to Miller’s work in this book, it is that tribes are key to establishing functioning economies on their respective reservations. The creation of reservation economies will not happen by accident or without the pursuit of a thoughtful course of action designed to attract, create and nurture economic ventures. As is obvious with gaming and myriad other businesses, tribes are in the business of business.” [9]

This writer wonders why corporate America outsources when Alaska Native and Native American Tribes have a whole listing of tax incentives whereby both the corporations and tribes benefit.  Tribes not only have tax incentives but a ready work force and well-educated tribal people too for several tribes have tribal colleges using or not only education but professional development.  A Native non-profit, in Portland, Oregon has partnered up with Salish Kootenai College and Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians implement accreditation of their economic development training conference workshops on tribal programs.  The Tax Incentives. [10]   More Tax Incentives working with Tribes. [11]

Will Corporate America and Alaska Native and Native American Tribes collaborate to step into a new era of global business opportunities and learn from one another and both take steps to move America back to even a higher level of quality of life? More importantly, write corporate and tribal history together for not only the future of America, but put into place a new chapter establishing new corporate and tribal legacies of corporate and tribal collaboration and have a prosperous future for the coming generations.

1.      http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/learn/issues/end-poverty-in-canada

2.     http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/18/first-nations-children-50-percent-poverty_n_3462808.html

3.     Ibid

4.     http://www.cwp-csp.ca/poverty/the-cost-of-poverty/

5.     National Center for Education Statistics (2008). Statistical Trends in the Education of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Washington, DC: US Department of Education.

6.     US Census Bureau. "Poverty Thresholds". Retrieved 12/10/2011.

7.     US Census Bureau (2000). US Census FactFinder. Washington, DC: US Census Bureau.

8.     http://www.spotlightonpoverty.org/ExclusiveCommentary.aspx?id=0fe5c04e-fdbf-4718-980c-0373ba823da7

9.     http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/article/capitalism-on-the-rez%...

10.   http://www.michiganbusiness.org/cm/files/tribal_business_development/guide_on_incentives_for_joint_ventures_with_tribes.pdf

11.   http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/supportdocuments/taxincentives051701.pdf

Amid America’s Economic Crisis North America’s Indigenous Can Prosper

Amid America’s Economic Crisis North America’s Indigenous Can Prosper

By

Terrance Henry Booth, Sr. - Tsimshian


Author, Joel Kotkin, wrote about How Race, Religion and Identity, Determine Success in the New Global Economy, called “Tribes.” Kotkin called the economic successes of “Global Tribalism.” He spoke on why these five tribes are having an economic impact on the new global economy of today. He wrote on the Jews, British, Japanese, Chinese and Indians of India. [1]

With this group he writes… “Although each of these five tribes possesses a vastly different history, they all share the following three critical characteristics:

1. A strong ethnic identity and sense of mutual dependence that helps the group adjust to the changes in the global economic and political order without losing its essential unity.
2. A global network base on mutual trust that allows the tribe to function collectively beyond the confines of national or regional borders.
3. A passion for technical and other knowledge from all possible sources, combined with an essential open-mindedness that fosters rapid cultural and scientific development critical for success in the late-twentieth-century world economy. [2]

Conversely, each Indigenous tribe of North America have a very strong ethnic identity and when need for support is put forth confronting adverse legislation or policies confront the tribes there is a united front to eliminate or change or make the adverse legislation or policies more applicable to the tribal social and economic needs. There is an awakening of working together when each new president is elected or in Canada First Nations gets a new Prime Minister. In recent years tribes of Indian Country, USA have an audience with the President’s cabinet and the 44th President chose a White House Native Staff Person as one of his key advisors. Tribes of USA keep abreast of any legislation or policies handed down to them and have key Native staffers making sure that legislation or policies apply to the social and economic needs of Indian Country, USA.

In USA, Indian Country only has to draw upon itself to become successful. A study from Selig Center: Native Americans’ buying power has increased from $19.6 billion in 1990 to $67.7 billion in 2010 and is projected to climb to $90.3 billion in 2015. The percentage change in Native Americans’ buying power between 1990 and 2015 is 361.5%, higher than the percentage change for whites. Native Americans’ share of the consumer market was 0.6% in 2010. [3]

So from among our own self we support our Native Companies, Corporations. Buy our tribal products or produce and purchase products or goods from among our own tribal businesses, companies or corporations. The buying power of our tribal people shows us that purchasing from our own tribal people will greatly bring social and economic improvements to our tribal settings. This writer, in another article has written if we took a look at following our spending whether as a tribal government or Native of a reservation setting we would see our spending goes off of our reservation settings and this gives us a poor tribal economy. If no grocery stores own and operated by our own tribal people the dollars spent for Native families goes off our reservation settings. If a tribe has no tribal utility company the dollars for energy goes off our reservation settings. Dollars spent and a leaves the reservation settings is called economic leakages. Some of our successful tribes recognize these economic leakages and placing their businesses or companies on reservation settings and tribe or tribes buy from these Native businesses or companies creating substantial wealth and some of our Native companies are now among the Fortune 500 companies.

A critical need is to take complete control of our natural resources, farm goods and produce, cattle and beef, citrus growers, lumber and timber Tribes, Native Farmers, Native seafood companies. It is good that we have goods or produce or products to sell; however, we need to not sell the raw product; but we do the value-adding, marketing and sales, establish Native labeling of our Native goods and products, value-add our seafood with Native labeling, take advantage of Minority Diversification Programs of grocery store chains so we put our Native products on grocery store shelves or freezer displays. Or greater still have our own Native Grocery Store chains for in each major city or town we have large number of Natives in urban settings. Added note, some of the grocery store chains does have ethnic food sections because of the diverse ethnic population of America. But you do not see any Native products, yet Native farmers may have grown the food product.

Why participate in having our own Native food products with complete control? For the seafood Native Companies it is good we participate in the harvesting and processing; however, we miss out on more profits. Example, at one of the many Costco stores, wild Alaskan Sockeye fillet (one fillet) selling for $28 dollars and how much did the Native fisherman sell the sockeye for and who is reaping more profits off of our raw products? This writer closes with a quote from his late father, Ira C. Booth, Tsimshian Historian: “To really look at tribal Economic Development, is to look at ourselves as a Tribe.” Then he spoke on our ancestor’s trade route that extended to the ice edge of the Arctic Circle and down most of the Pacific Coast. Trading and bartering so culturally some tribes had commerce and were very wealthy. Awaken our past to build our Native Future.

1. Joel Kotkin, Tribes, Random House, 1992
2. Joel Kotkin, Tribes, Prologue, pg. 4-5, Random House, 1992
3. Jeffrey M. Humphreys, The Multicultural Economy 2010 (Selig Center for Economic Growth: 2010).

Tribal Economic Possibilities Offers Substantial Tribal Wealth Development

Tribal Economic Possibilities Offers Substantial Tribal Wealth Development
By
Terrance Henry Booth, Sr., Tsimshian

While America struggles with its economic crisis Tribes can prosper amid this global economic crisis. In Southeast Alaska there is opportunity to take over all of the energy needs of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia. For several years Southeast Alaska has been working upon the Southeast Alaska that connects about every village and town of Southeast Alaska. All three tribes by joining forces can take over this Southeast Alaska Inter-tie that will eventually hook-up to BC Hydro providing energy to British Columbia. Every Tribe in America has biomass, solar, wind and water all can be converted into energy.

Department of Energy over several years has done feasibility studies to see what alternative energy usage will work for a tribal setting. Southeast Alaska has seafood waste, landfills with some causing environmental concerns; every tribe in Southeast Alaska has biomass, water, wind, tidal waters, lakes, streams, and a lot of wind. The Native Villages of Southeast Alaska can have the formation of Inter-tribal alternative energy cooperative and have the implementation of an Inter-tribal Energy Park to sell needed energy to this Southeast Alaska Inter-tie System to put it in place a lot faster and meet the energy needs of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia.

Landfills can be converted into energy or even converted into a durable metal like substance that can replace aluminum, copper or steel. This can open up substantial wealth development for all of the tribes of Southeast Alaska. The scientific technology is already in place to convert trash into profits and the creation of this metal like substance manufacturing of metal parts can be made for at least nine major industries. [1]

The landfill environmental problems of tribes can be converted into energy and some tribes doing biomass projects to resolving waste problems of their neighbors. “The Tulalip Tribes of Washington, a federally recognized Indian Tribe, will assess the feasibility of developing biogas generation facilities to convert manure and other biomass resources into electricity to help meet the Tribe's energy needs from a renewable energy source. Tulalip will research and report on how this type of development can improve water quality in Snohomish Watershed streams and rivers through improved treatment of manure and other bio-waste products and possible water reuse from the facility. Tulalip will explore using a biogas generation facility to supply heat to an anticipated Tribal nursery and greenhouse operation, and marketing of biogas facility byproducts as high-quality fertilizer and soil amendments. One idea is to brand the products as "salmon-friendly" and sell it at the Tribe's Home Depot-anchored shopping center on the Marysville, WA, Reservation” [2]

Next is to identify where environmental problems can be resolved by a tribe or tribes by turning waste into energy. “Honolulu makes up 80 percent of Hawaii's population and generates nearly 1.6 million tons of garbage a year. More than a third of the trash is incinerated to generate electricity. The remaining garbage is sent to the 21-year-old Waimanalo Gulch landfill on the island of Oahu's southwestern coast.” This environmental problem can be resolved if a tribe or tribes already doing an alternative energy biomass project can turn this project into substantial tribal wealth development with the establishment of a tribal biomass alternative energy park to sell needed energy to its neighbors and in process creation of more jobs for the tribe or tribes. [3]

How Renewable Energy Investments Help the Economy

There are two main reasons why renewable energy technologies offer an economic advantage: (1) they are labor intensive, so they generally create more jobs per dollar invested than conventional electricity generation technologies, and (2) they use primarily indigenous resources, so most of the energy dollars can be kept at home.

According to the Wisconsin Energy Bureau, investment in locally available renewable energy generates more jobs, greater earnings, and higher output ... than a continued reliance on imported fossil fuels. Economic impacts are maximized when an indigenous resource or technology can replace an imported fuel at a reasonable price and when a large percentage of inputs can be purchased in the state. The Bureau estimates that,
overall, renewables create three times as many jobs as the same level of spending on fossil fuels. [4]


What are the benefits that maybe taken advantage of and implemented upon all tribal lands:

Invest in Renewable Energy
Congressman Altmire believes that one way our country can reduce our dependence on foreign oil is through incentives that encourage the use and production of renewable energy. He supported tax breaks for American companies that developed innovative energy efficient and renewable technologies that can help put our country on a path toward energy independence. On October 3, 2008, over $17 billion in tax incentives were signed into law to encourage the production of wind and solar technologies and the construction of energy-efficient buildings and homes. These investments will help create new American jobs and strengthen our economy. [5]

”There are two tax credits available to taxpaying companies that own renewable energy facilities. One is the production tax credit, which is equal to 2.1 cents per kilowatt-hour, as of the beginning of 2009, and the other is the investment tax credit, which allows taxpayers to receive a credit of up to 30% of the initial investment in a project. Each of these can be used for wind, solar and geothermal projects, as well as other projects on Indian land, provided the owner is a taxpayer (not a tribe). In addition, there is very rapid depreciation allowed for these investments. Other tax incentives and credits may be available within Indian territories to encourage development, depending on a particular tribe’s circumstances.” [6]

Department of Energy and Tribal Energy Projects on Tribal Lands

DOE to Award $6.3 Million to 31 Clean Energy Projects on Tribal Lands
July 27, 2011


DOE will help Tribal Nations expand their use of clean energy, like the Rosebud Sioux did on their South Dakota Reservation with this wind turbine, shown during a powwow.
Credit: Robert Gough


DOE announced on July 21 that 31 tribal energy projects will receive $6.3 million over two years as part of DOE's ongoing efforts to support tribal energy development and continue strengthening the partnership with Tribal Nations. These competitively selected projects will allow Native American tribes to advance clean energy within their communities by developing strategic energy plans, expanding the skills and knowledge of tribal members, and improving the energy efficiency of their buildings.

The investments will help tribal communities save money and reduce energy waste, expand the use of clean energy technologies, and promote economic development. The funding will go to tribes and tribal organizations in 13 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. [7]

“The Tribal Energy Program, under the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, promotes tribal energy sufficiency, and fosters economic development and employment on tribal lands through the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.” [8]

With available resources to implement tribal regional energy parks with biomass, solar, water or wind which every tribe has and it is only to convert it into energy for all of America by year 2016 will need 70% more electricity. Population growth of the cities and towns of each state readily dictates a dire need for more energy. With this need tribes can become the energy czars of America and prosper at the same time.


1. McAlister, Roy. The Solar Hydrogen Civilization, American Hydrogen Association, July 2003
2. US Department of Energy, Tulalip Tribes of Washington, Tulalip Tribes, 2003 Project
3. Huff Post, Green, Honolulu Waste Problem: City Struggles To Find A Place For Its 1.6 Million Tons Of Annual Garbage, HERBERT A. SAMPLE | 08/24/10
4. Economic Benefits from Renewable Energy, http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy97/20505.pdf
5. Congressman Jason Altmire, Solutions to America’s Energy Crisis, http://altmire.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=253&Itemid=47
6. Financing Renewable Energy Development On Native American Lands, http://www.orrick.com/fileupload/1720.pdf
7. U.S. Department of Energy, Weatherization & Intergovernmental News, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/m/news_detail.html?news_id=17577
8.

U.S. Department of Energy, Tribal Energy Programs, http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/tribalenergy/about.cfm