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TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2002

There's something for everyone at a major economic development gathering being put together by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb said on Monday.

Although the focus is on tribal governments, Indian entrepreneurs can benefit too, McCaleb said. Along with Secretary of Interior Gale Norton, he will kick off the National Summit on Emerging Tribal Economies on September 17.

"Individual Indian businessmen [can] connect with capital and government agencies wherever they are located," McCaleb said during an appearance on the radio program Native America Calling.

The three-day event will bring together tribes, the corporate world and nearly 20 federal agencies. They meet for the lofty goal of creating 100,000 jobs in Indian Country by 2008.

"The vision is to bridge the economic and social disparity gap between Indian Country and mainstream America," McCaleb said, "to end the cycle of poverty and social dysfunction on the reservations."

The summit will present attendees with a wide variety of business options. From energy to agriculture to tourism to telecommunications, conference organizers hope to showcase the opportunities available to tribes and entrepreneurs.

"We want to let [Indian Country] know we're here," Rosemary Kimball of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), one of the agencies involved, said in an interview. Telecommunications will be highlighted on the third day of the summit.

McCaleb also said yesterday that promoting economic success will be a key goal. The summit will showcase 120 reservation businesses and will develop a catalog of tribal products and services.

Coinciding with the activity is a tribal-driven effort to reduce barriers to reservation economic development. Tribes often complain of overwhelming federal regulations and red tape. They also say there is no one easy way to access programs at disparate agencies.

McCaleb said the summit should make it easier by opening up the lines of communication, particular between tribes and the corporate world. "We intend to bring together the capital" and Indian businesses, he said.

The event will take place at the Phoenix Civic Plaza in Phoenix, Arizona. It will be preceded on September 16 by a golf tournament.

Relevant Links:
National Summit on Emerging Tribal Economies - http://www.lakotamall.com/nationalsummit