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Challenges to Development on the Navajo Nation

Challenges to Development on the Navajo Nation. What I Did. Intern at Tuba City Regional Business Development Office Serves 16 chapters of Navajo Nation Helps facilitate small business development -Administers small and micro loan program ($500-$250,000)

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Challenges to Development on the Navajo Nation

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  1. Challenges to Development on the Navajo Nation

  2. What I Did • Intern at Tuba City Regional Business Development Office • Serves 16 chapters of Navajo Nation • Helps facilitate small business development -Administers small and micro loan program ($500-$250,000) -Provides technical assistance with local community planning, business site leasing, and business site development -Offers training programs for entrepreneurs

  3. The State of the Navajo Economy • 48% unemployment (U.S.: ~6.1%) • 42% below the poverty line (U.S.: 12.5%) • Median Household Income: $27,389 (U.S.: $44,473) • Government and government-related jobs are the biggest sources of employment on reservation

  4. Barriers to Development • Infrastructure • Credit • Education • Land status (business site leasing process)

  5. Business-Site Leasing • No private land • All reservation land is land held in trust by the U.S. government for the Navajo Nation • Grazing permits • Bureaucratic process (next slide)

  6. The Process

  7. What’s Changing • Shonto Chapter has recently been granted the right to perform their own BSL’s • First of 110 chapters (long way to go)

  8. My Impressions • There is hope; land ripe for renewable energy projects and gaming should bring in revenue (along with obvious downsides) • Cycle of dependence is difficult to break • “Change” is a four-letter word in Navajo • Without private land, it is extremely difficult to have a vibrant economy • Economic development vs. preserving tradition

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