Latest news with #TurtleMountainBandofChippewaIndians
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Investing In Sovereignty: The Oweesta Approach
Native Americans own over 400,000 businesses across the United States, accounting for 1.2% of all U.S. firms. Yet many entrepreneurs face significant barriers in accessing capital, often due to the unique legal and geographic structures within tribal communities and broader challenges within the traditional lending system. As President and CEO of Oweesta Corporation, a national Native CDFI intermediary, Chrystel Cornelius leads efforts to bridge the gap between financial institutions and Native communities. A citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota, Chrystel has spent the past 25 years advancing economic development in Native and rural areas. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Chrystel about the current landscape for Native-owned businesses and the transformative work of Oweesta. Our conversation, edited for clarity, follows below. Rhett Buttle: At a high level, can you describe how Native small business owners are contributing to the economy in the United States, as well as their communities. Chrystel Cornelius: Native small business owners are vital to the strength and sovereignty of Indigenous communities and the U.S. economy. Rooted in resilience, innovation, and cultural stewardship, Native entrepreneurs are driving economic growth, creating jobs, and reclaiming economic power on their own terms. Today, Native Americans own over 400,000 businesses across the United States, representing 1.2% of all U.S. firms. Collectively, these businesses contribute over $33 billion annually to the economy and employ nearly 300,000 workers nationwide. Native-owned businesses are thriving in industries such as construction (35,969 firms), professional and technical services (30,966 firms), and other key sectors (43,573 firms). Their impact extends beyond these numbers—Native entrepreneurs are leading in tourism, agriculture, technology, and the arts, bringing Indigenous knowledge and practices into the broader market. Many Native business owners are weaving tradition with innovation, integrating ancestral knowledge, sustainable practices, and cultural craftsmanship into their enterprises. Their success is a direct investment in Indigenous communities, strengthening local economies, funding education, expanding healthcare access, and fostering self-sufficiency. Native entrepreneurs are not only contributing to the economy—they are building legacies, preserving culture, and reclaiming economic sovereignty for future generations. Rhett Buttle: What are some of the unique challenges Native entrepreneurs face in starting and maintaining their own small businesses? Chrystel Cornelius: Native entrepreneurs face distinct challenges when launching and sustaining their businesses, many of which are rooted in historical and systemic barriers. One of the most significant obstacles is limited access to capital and investment. Unlike the rest of America, many Native business owners struggle to secure traditional loans due to the rural nature of tribal communities and the reluctance of conventional banks and investors to support Native-led businesses. Without equitable financial opportunities, Indigenous entrepreneurs often rely on self-funding or community-based lending, which can limit growth potential. Infrastructure disparities further hinder Native business development. Many Indigenous communities lack reliable internet access, transportation networks, and commercial space, making it difficult to operate and scale businesses—especially in remote or rural tribal lands. These infrastructure gaps place Native entrepreneurs at a disadvantage in an increasingly digital and interconnected economy. Market access and visibility also present significant challenges. Native business owners frequently struggle to break into mainstream markets due to limited networking opportunities, lack of exposure, and misconceptions about Indigenous products and services. Many businesses rely heavily on word-of-mouth and local sales, which can limit their ability to expand and reach broader audiences. Despite these challenges, Native entrepreneurs continue to build and sustain businesses that uplift their communities, preserve cultural traditions, and contribute to economic sovereignty. Addressing these barriers—through increased access to capital, stronger infrastructure investment, and broader market inclusion—is critical to ensuring the long-term success and resilience of Native-owned businesses. Rhett Buttle: How does the Oweesta Corporation work with businesses to help them overcome these challenges? Chrystel Cornelius: Oweesta Corporation plays a critical role in strengthening Native small businesses by acting as a direct investor in Native Community Development Financial Institutions (Native CDFIs), which often face limited access to capital. By supporting these financial institutions, Oweesta ensures that Native entrepreneurs and tribal businesses have access to the funding and resources they need to thrive within their communities. Beyond investment, Oweesta supports Native CDFIs, Tribes, and Native-led nonprofits by providing technical assistance, training, and capacity-building support. These efforts help organizations strengthen their expertise needed to deliver capital, financial education, and business development services to Native entrepreneurs. By directly investing in Native-led economic development efforts, Oweesta strengthens the financial infrastructure in tribal communities, creating pathways for small business success, job creation, and long-term economic sovereignty. Through these efforts, Oweesta ensures that Indigenous businesses are not just surviving—but thriving. Rhett Buttle: Would it be possible to share some success stories? Chrystel Cornelius: Absolutely. One inspiring example comes from Olympia, Washington, where Native American and veteran entrepreneurs Daniel and Treasa Sabo launched MELO Powerwash—a professional exterior cleaning company focused on helping homeowners and businesses maintain and enhance their properties. Treasa's journey began when she connected with the Nimiipuu Fund and enrolled in their Indianpreneurship Workshop. Through this program, she sharpened her business strategy and created a solid plan to bring MELO Powerwash to life. With the guidance and support of the Nimiipuu Fund, she secured seed capital through a Native CDFI—providing the critical investment needed to launch the business. Today, MELO Powerwash has grown to serve both residential and commercial clients across Washington State, offering services like pressure washing, roof and window cleaning, and even holiday light installations. But their impact goes beyond business—by helping others protect their homes and investments, the Sabos are building a stronger, more resilient community. Rhett Buttle: The White House recently issued an executive order on reducing the federal government that impact the CDFI fund and the MBDA. Would this affect Native small businesses and if so, how? Chrystel Cornelius: The CDFI Fund and the NACA Program have made it possible for Native CDFIs to serve as financial pillars in their community, providing capital where traditional banks and lenders have fallen short. Native CDFIs' direct investment in their community has led to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs and thousands of Native-owned small businesses across the United States —all of which strengthen our local economies and our Nation as a whole. Rhett Buttle: If an aspiring entrepreneur or business owner wants to engage with the Native CDFI sector for business support, what should they do? Chrystel Cornelius: There is a CDFI in every state in the US. If a tribal entrepreneur wishes to receive support for their business they should look up viable CDFIs in their area by researching CDFIs on the Department of Treasury CDFI Fund website.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leonard Peltier welcomed back to tribal homeland by Native American community: ‘I am not broken'
After 49 years in prison, Native American activist Leonard Peltier was released on Feb. 18. And now his Indigenous community is celebrating with a 'welcome home' event. The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians citizen and former American Indian Movement (AIM) activist had been serving two life sentences for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents during a shootout involving more than 30 people on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The shootout also left one Native activist dead. Peltier's trial, however, had been criticized for alleged misconduct, drawing rebuke from not only Native activists but also world leaders. For decades, supporters campaigned for his release, but the remainder of Peltier's sentence was commuted on Jan. 20 by former President Joe Biden. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. 'Today I am finally free! They may have imprisoned me but they never took my spirit!' Peltier said in a statement on Tuesday. 'Thank you to all my supporters throughout the world who fought for my freedom. I am finally going home. I look forward to seeing my friends, my family and my community. It's a good day today.' Peltier was released from a Coleman federal prison in Florida and will spend the rest of his life in home confinement in his tribal homeland in North Dakota. NDN Collective, a Native American-led organization led by its Oglala Lakota founder and CEO, Nick Tilsen, facilitated his move back to his family home. For Tilsen, seeing Peltier released was 'powerful.' 'He came walking out through those doors, and he was confident. He shook the hands of all of the corrections officers and the transition staff, and they were all supportive of him leaving,' Tilsen said. 'He was dignified, and he was respected by all of them. And they were all happy to see him go home.' In a strange coincidence that Tilsen saw as symbolic, 'The front doors of Coleman PS1, they wouldn't shut. They were broken,' he said. 'They had a maintenance guy and then a corrections officer come up, come over. And it was so crazy that literally the front door of Coleman PS1 was broken open,' he continued. 'It was broken open literally until Leonard came walking through those doors.' After arriving in North Dakota, Peltier said, "I am not broken." Since his imprisonment, the 80-year-old activist has served as a symbol for many of the continued oppression of Native American people in the U.S., because his trial was reportedly marked by instances of witness coercion, withheld evidence and juror bias, Indigenous activists as well as notable figures including Pope Francis, Nelson Mandela, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders had called for clemency for Peltier. While the activist admitted to being present at the shootout, he has maintained his innocence in the killings of the officers, who were shot at close range, according to the FBI. Even a former U.S. attorney whose predecessor prosecuted the case noted that Peltier's presence at the shootout with a weapon was what ultimately led to his conviction rather than any evidence that he fired the fatal shots. Notably, the other two activists who were also tried were acquitted. The death of the Native activist involved in the shootout was never investigated. 'How Leonard Peltier was treated was emblematic of how Indigenous people have been treated by the United States government since the founding of this country,' Tilsen said, arguing that this explained was why world leaders had come to Peltier's defense. 'The Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States government was waging a war, and they were violating Indigenous people's human rights in the process, and they violated his human rights.' The FBI has consistently opposed Peltier's release, which had come up during several presidential administrations. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray even sent a private letter to Biden, saying, 'Granting Peltier any relief from his conviction or sentence is wholly unjustified and would be an affront to the rule of law,' according to the Associated Press. The reaction from the Native community itself has been mixed, due to Peltier's rumored connection to the murder of fellow AIM member Annie Mae Aquash, whose life was detailed in the 2024 Hulu documentary series Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae. Peltier has denied any involvement in her death. Only a week after Biden commuted Peltier's sentence, the Indigenous-produced documentary Free Leonard Peltier, directed by Jesse Short Bull and David France, about his time in prison and the decades-long effort to free him, debuted on Jan. 27 at the Sundance Film Festival. Filmmakers had to scramble to adjust the ending, although as the Comanche-Blackfeet producer Jhane Myers previously told Yahoo, 'This is something that we always prepared for, because we had hoped that this would happen.' Wednesday's ceremony in Belcourt, N.D., is expected to attract between 400-500 people, according to Tilsen. There will be elders and spiritual leaders offering prayers, along with singers and dancers. '[Peltier is] going to address the community and the people and Indian country,' Tilsen explained. 'The ceremony and the celebration is really the most important thing for that day and to welcome him back here, back into his homelands and back to the community and to the people.' As for what comes next, Tilsen said he hopes Peltier's release and return home helps illuminate 'what has happened to Indian people, so that it doesn't continue to happen.' 'Justice for Indigenous people is justice for people everywhere,' he added. 'We have to be able to enter into an era of building a culture of repair and acknowledgment in this country, rather than one of erasure and ignorance.'
Politico
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Leonard Peltier leaves prison after sentence commuted for 1975 slayings
SUMTERVILLE, Florida — Native American activist Leonard Peltier was released from a Florida prison on Tuesday, weeks after then-President Joe Biden angered law enforcement officials by commuting his life sentence to home confinement in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. Peltier, 80, left Coleman penitentiary in an SUV, according to a prison official. He didn't stop to speak with reporters or the roughly two dozen supporters who gathered outside the gates to celebrate his release. Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota, was headed back to his reservation, where family and friends will celebrate his release with him on Wednesday and where the tribe arranged a house for him to live in while serving his home confinement. Throughout his nearly half-century in prison, Peltier has maintained that he didn't murder FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams during a confrontation that day on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Native Americans widely believe he was a political prisoner who was wrongly convicted because he fought for tribal rights as a member of the American Indian Movement. 'He represents every person who's been roughed up by a cop, profiled, had their children harassed at school,' said Nick Estes, a professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe who advocated for Peltier's release. Biden did not pardon Peltier. But his Jan. 20 commutation of Peltier's sentence to home confinement, noting Peltier had spent most of his life behind bars and was in poor health, prompted criticism from those who believe Peltier is guilty. Among them is former FBI Director Christopher Wray, who called Peltier 'a remorseless killer' in a private letter to Biden obtained by The Associated Press. One of his attorneys, Jenipher Jones, said Peltier was looking forward to going home. 'We're so excited for this moment,' Jones said before his release. 'He is in good spirits. He has the soul of a warrior.' His supporters outside the prison, including some who waved flags saying 'Free Leonard Peltier,' were elated. 'We never thought he would get out,' said Ray St. Clair, a member of the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe who traveled to Florida to be there for Peltier's release. 'It shows you should never give up hope. We can take this repairing the damage that was done. This is a start.' Peltier was active in AIM, which formed in the 1960s and fought for Native American treaty rights and tribal self-determination. Peltier's conviction stemmed from a 1975 confrontation on the in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in which the two FBI agents were killed. According to the FBI, Coler and Williams were there to serve arrest warrants for robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon. Prosecutors maintained at trial that Peltier shot both agents in the head at point-blank range. Peltier acknowledged being present and firing a gun at a distance, but he said he fired in self-defense and that his shots weren't the ones that killed the agents. A woman who claimed to have seen Peltier shoot the agents later recanted her testimony, saying it had been coerced. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and given two consecutive life sentences. Two other AIM members, Robert Robideau and Dino Butler, were acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. Many of Peltier's supporters and even some prosecutors have questioned the fairness of his trial and the evidence presented against him. But Michael J. Clark, president of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, pointed out that numerous federal judges have denied Peltier's appeals. 'We strongly oppose the commutation of his sentence,' Clark said, calling the decision a 'poor reflection' on Biden. 'This was kind of sprung on everyone at the last minute. Literally in the last minute of his presidency. It's just tough.' Peltier was denied parole as recently as July and was not eligible to be considered for it again until 2026. As a young child, Peltier was taken from his family and sent to a boarding school. Thousands of Indigenous children over decades faced the same fate, and were in many cases subjected to systemic physical, psychological and sexual abuse. 'He hasn't really had a home since he was taken away to boarding school,' said Nick Tilsen, who advocated for Peltier's release for years and is CEO of NDN Collective, an Indigenous-led advocacy group based in South Dakota. 'So he is excited to be at home and paint and have grandkids running around.'
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leonard Peltier leaves prison after sentence commuted for 1975 slayings
SUMTERVILLE, Florida — Native American activist Leonard Peltier was released from a Florida prison on Tuesday, weeks after then-President Joe Biden angered law enforcement officials by commuting his life sentence to home confinement in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. Peltier, 80, left Coleman penitentiary in an SUV, according to a prison official. He didn't stop to speak with reporters or the roughly two dozen supporters who gathered outside the gates to celebrate his release. Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota, was headed back to his reservation, where family and friends will celebrate his release with him on Wednesday and where the tribe arranged a house for him to live in while serving his home confinement. Throughout his nearly half-century in prison, Peltier has maintained that he didn't murder FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams during a confrontation that day on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Native Americans widely believe he was a political prisoner who was wrongly convicted because he fought for tribal rights as a member of the American Indian Movement. 'He represents every person who's been roughed up by a cop, profiled, had their children harassed at school,' said Nick Estes, a professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe who advocated for Peltier's release. Biden did not pardon Peltier. But his Jan. 20 commutation of Peltier's sentence to home confinement, noting Peltier had spent most of his life behind bars and was in poor health, prompted criticism from those who believe Peltier is guilty. Among them is former FBI Director Christopher Wray, who called Peltier 'a remorseless killer' in a private letter to Biden obtained by The Associated Press. One of his attorneys, Jenipher Jones, said Peltier was looking forward to going home. 'We're so excited for this moment,' Jones said before his release. 'He is in good spirits. He has the soul of a warrior.' His supporters outside the prison, including some who waved flags saying 'Free Leonard Peltier,' were elated. 'We never thought he would get out,' said Ray St. Clair, a member of the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe who traveled to Florida to be there for Peltier's release. 'It shows you should never give up hope. We can take this repairing the damage that was done. This is a start.' Peltier was active in AIM, which formed in the 1960s and fought for Native American treaty rights and tribal self-determination. Peltier's conviction stemmed from a 1975 confrontation on the in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in which the two FBI agents were killed. According to the FBI, Coler and Williams were there to serve arrest warrants for robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon. Prosecutors maintained at trial that Peltier shot both agents in the head at point-blank range. Peltier acknowledged being present and firing a gun at a distance, but he said he fired in self-defense and that his shots weren't the ones that killed the agents. A woman who claimed to have seen Peltier shoot the agents later recanted her testimony, saying it had been coerced. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and given two consecutive life sentences. Two other AIM members, Robert Robideau and Dino Butler, were acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. Many of Peltier's supporters and even some prosecutors have questioned the fairness of his trial and the evidence presented against him. But Michael J. Clark, president of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, pointed out that numerous federal judges have denied Peltier's appeals. 'We strongly oppose the commutation of his sentence,' Clark said, calling the decision a 'poor reflection' on Biden. 'This was kind of sprung on everyone at the last minute. Literally in the last minute of his presidency. It's just tough.' Peltier was denied parole as recently as July and was not eligible to be considered for it again until 2026. As a young child, Peltier was taken from his family and sent to a boarding school. Thousands of Indigenous children over decades faced the same fate, and were in many cases subjected to systemic physical, psychological and sexual abuse. 'He hasn't really had a home since he was taken away to boarding school,' said Nick Tilsen, who advocated for Peltier's release for years and is CEO of NDN Collective, an Indigenous-led advocacy group based in South Dakota. 'So he is excited to be at home and paint and have grandkids running around.'
New York Times
18-02-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
What to Know About Leonard Peltier, Activist Released From Prison by Biden
Leonard Peltier, a Native American rights activist, left federal prison in Central Florida Tuesday morning after nearly 50 years behind bars, in a victory for supporters who have criticized his prosecution as unjust and campaigned for his release. Mr. Peltier was serving two life sentences for murder in connection with the deaths of two F.B.I. agents during a shootout on a reservation in 1975. For decades, Mr. Peltier's supporters tried to win his release through parole or a presidential pardon or commutation. President Joseph R. Biden Jr. commuted his sentence in January. Here is what to know about his case. Who is Leonard Peltier? Mr. Peltier is a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and grew up in North Dakota. He was a member of the American Indian Movement, an advocacy organization founded in 1968 that promoted civil rights and opposed police brutality and other abuses. The group sought to call attention to the federal government's history of violating treaties it had made with Native American tribes. In the 1970s, militant members of the group clashed with federal authorities on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, including forcibly seizing control of the Sioux village of Wounded Knee and holding off the authorities for 71 days. What led to his imprisonment? Two years after the Wounded Knee standoff, with the relationship between Native American activists and federal law enforcement agencies still tense, two F.B.I. agents — Jack Coler and Ronald Williams — tried to execute an arrest warrant for a robbery suspect on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. A shootout ensued, leaving the two agents and one activist dead. Mr. Peltier, who has admitted to taking part in the shootout, was accused of murder, tried and convicted. He was sentenced to two life terms. Why were his prosecution and trial criticized? Of the more than 30 people who were present during the shootout, only Mr. Peltier was convicted of a crime. Two other Native American activists who were put on trial were acquitted. Mr. Peltier and his supporters claim his trial was unfair in several ways. They said some witnesses against him were coerced by the F.B.I., and that exculpatory evidence that was admitted in the trials of the two acquitted activists was excluded from Mr. Peltier's trial. Prosecutors said in the trial that the two agents were shot at point-blank range. Mr. Peltier said he fired shots only at a distance, and did so in self-defense, and did not kill the agents. His case became a cause célèbre, with supporters including the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, the actors Robert Redford and Danny Glover, the musician Steven Van Zandt and several members of Congress calling for his early release. A former U.S. attorney whose office oversaw Mr. Peltier's original prosecution said the conviction rested on his presence at the shootout with a weapon — not on any evidence that he had fired a fatal shot — and joined the calls for his release. Why is he out of prison now? Shortly before leaving office on Jan. 20, President Biden commuted Mr. Peltier's sentence, one of thousands of requests for clemency that he granted in the final weeks of his presidency. The commutation did not change his sentence, only where he will be. Mr. Peltier will now serve out the rest of his sentence in home confinement in North Dakota. He is in poor health and partially blind from diabetes, a stroke, an aortic aneurysm and repeated bouts of Covid-19. Who opposed clemency for him? Mr. Peltier's requests for clemency were repeatedly rejected over the years, including most recently by the U.S. Parole Commission in July. Christopher Wray, who led the F.B.I. from 2017 until January, strongly opposed granting clemency, calling Mr. Peltier 'a remorseless killer.' South Dakota's attorney general also opposed clemency. Natalie Bara, president of the F.B.I. Agents Association, a nonprofit that serves the bureau's current and former special agents, blasted President Biden's decision in January as 'a cruel betrayal to the families and colleagues of these fallen agents.'
