Tribal leaders and federal officials are meeting in Billings, Montana, for the first Rocky Mountain Regional Economic Development Summit.

Titled "Making It Work in Indian Country," the summit seeks to help tribes address build businesses, generate jobs and spur development on reservations. The unemployment rate among 10 tribes in the Rocky Mountain region is 67 percent and 23 percent of the population lives below the poverty level.

"I want us, as tribal leaders, to dream big," said James Steele, the chairman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and chairman of the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders' Council, The Billings Gazette reported.

The summit, which ends today, is co-sponsored by the MT-WY TLC, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Native American Development Corp of Billings.

Get the Story:
Summit aims to help economic growth on reservations (The Billings Gazette 8/13)
Native American Development Conference (KULR-TV 8/12)