State and Tribes Building New Traditions Series: Economic Development in Tribal Reservations and Rural Communities

State-Tribal Relations

States and Tribes Building New Traditions Series

This publication is a product of the State-Tribal Relations Project, a partnership between the National Conference of State Legislatures and the National Congress of American Indians. The NCSL State-Tribal Relations Project policy series is designed to help legislators and tribal leaders gain a greater understanding of the issues affecting each constituency and to identify methods for cooperative policymaking in an issue-specific context.

Economic Development in Tribal Reservations and Rural Communities

By Andrea Wilkins
May 2004

Background

Cooperation between state and tribal governments is necessary and beneficial in fostering economic development on tribal reservations and surrounding rural communities. Many of the challenges to development in these communities are similar, and coordinated strategies between state and tribal officials can prove more successful than isolated efforts, reducing the potential for duplicated efforts, missed opportunities and unintended consequences.

Without a prospering economy, neither a community nor its citizens can thrive. Healthy reservation and rural economies are beneficial to all citizens residing in the state in which they are located. The prosperity of these areas contributes to the success of the overall state economy. Barriers to sustained development must be overcome if governing officials are to improve the quality of life of their constituents. Impediments to the development of reservation and rural economies include lack of infrastructure, problems related to declining populations, lack of jobs, and lack of support services. On tribal reservations, issues such as tribal sovereignty and the unique status of land can further complicate development. Fortunately, a number of policy options exist that state and tribal leaders may want to consider as they help reservation and rural communities implement feasible plans for long-term development. 2004, 11 pages.

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