"Our ancestors showed us by example how to be resilient as they lived and flourished for centuries across our vast continent. Tribal nation resiliency continued to be evident through periods of extermination and termination. Many tribes were removed from their homelands and pushed to remote corners of the United States. Yet, somehow tribes found a way to survive and hold onto what little was left. Today, that resilience is best exemplified as Indian Country develops cutting edge methods for bringing financial development and the creation of jobs to their respective tribes.

Nowhere is the evidence of economic resiliency more readily seen than right here in Tulsa, where the National Center for American Indian Economic Development (NCAIED) held its first regional Reservation Economic Summit (RES) earlier this month.

RES Oklahoma represented a major, region-by-region expansion of the summit program under the thoughtful stewardship of president Gary Davis. This is a major achievement and a sure signal that we have truly begun to move from a reliance on the federal government to self-determination and taking control of our economic future. "

Get the Story:
Barry W. Brandon: Tribes' economic futures bright (The Tulsa World 11/29)

Related Stories:
Tribes focusing on businesses at Reservation Economic Summit (11/14)