NCAI debuts animated series and companion guides to promote Native small-business growth

The National Congress of American Indians launched a three‑video animated series and companion resources aimed at helping tribal nations revive small-business ecosystems in Indian Country, officials said. "My name is Jeffrey Blackwell, and I work as the general counsel and chief of staff for NCAI," Blackwell told attendees in opening remarks, framing the project as a teaching tool for tribal leaders and stakeholders.

Coby Clark, a citizen of the United Houma Nation and policy associate at NCAI, said funding for the project "comes from Google, from their Tides Foundation," with a portion of the grant distributed as microgrants to Native small-business owners and the remainder used to develop and distribute the videos across Indian Country.

NCAI moderator Dr. Ian Recker said the videos build on the organization’s Building Tribal Economies Toolkit and are intended as short, visual explainers covering three themes: traditional Native economies; how colonial policies disrupted those systems; and contemporary strategies to rebuild entrepreneurship. The first video highlights longstanding economic practices rooted in reciprocity and local circulation of value. The second traces policies that redirected resources away from Native communities, and the third outlines tribal strategies—trauma‑informed supports, codified small‑business initiatives, procurement preferences for citizen‑owned businesses, and partnerships with CDFIs and tribal colleges—that leaders are using to foster citizen ownership.

Panelists Elsie Meeks and Cecilia Engelhardt joined the webinar to discuss how those strategies work on the ground. Meeks, who helped develop Lakota Funds, described the videos as a complement to on‑the‑ground work that includes technical assistance, financial literacy and training. "This series is designed to educate current and future tribal leaders, key decision makers, citizens, and other Indian country stakeholders," Blackwell said.

NCAI said two companion guides—one for tribal governments and leaders and a second for tribal colleges and universities—will be released soon to help turn the videos' lessons into action. The webinar is part of a four‑part series; NCAI scheduled the next session for Jan. 25 and named guest speakers who will discuss community engagement and multi‑year strategies to center entrepreneurship.

The videos and guides are intended as educational resources; no formal policy commitments were announced during the webinar. NCAI encouraged attendees to register for the remainder of the webinar series and to consult the released toolkit and companion materials for implementation guidance.