Native finance leaders push for better data

A panel at NCAI’s Mid Year Convention highlighted how stronger economic data can help tribal nations support sovereignty, unlock capital and influence policy.

Phil Gover, senior project manager and policy fellow at the Center for Indian Country Development, warned that tribal economic invisibility limits access to funding and clouds policymaking. “U.S. policymakers don’t have enough data to make sense of tribal finance,” he said.

Cory Blankenship, executive director of the Native American Finance Officers Association, said that telling the full story of tribal economies requires reliable data — the kind that shows both unmet needs and Native-driven innovation.

Amber Schulz-Oliver, executive director of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Economic Development Corporation, framed data as a powerful tool of self-determination: “Data is one method for tribes to tell our stories—as individual nations and collectively.”

Panelists:

• Cory Blankenship (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), Native American Finance Officers Association
• Amber Schulz-Oliver (Celilo/Yakama), Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Economic Development Corporation
• Phil Gover (Northern and Southern Paiute, Pawnee, and Comanche Nations), Center for Indian Country Development