Stronger Economies Together (SET) in a StrikeForce Suit

Christine Sorensen
USDA Rural DevelopmentRural Development
Coordinator
Bush Foundation Fellow
7.24.2013
• Electric Programs
• Water & Environmental Programs
• Telecommunications & Broadband
Programs
Program
Areas
• Single Family Housing
• Multi-Family Housing
• Community Facilities
• Business & Industry Guaranteed Loans
• Rural Business Enterprise Grants
• Rural Business Opportunity Grants
• Rural Energy Programs
» Launched in 2010 by USDA Rural
Development and the nation’s four
Regional Rural Development Centers and
their land-grant university partners, this
initiative is now in place in nearly 40
regions in 19 states.
» SET III-2012-2014
» SET IV-2013-2015
» (1) Guide the formation effective teams;
» (2) Help teams discover the economic assets
and strengths of their region;
» (3) Build strong working ties between USDA
RD and Extension Service staff; and
» (4) Promotes the development of a high
quality economic development plan
» In March 2013, *South Dakota was one of ten
states to be added along with Alabama, Alaska,
Arizona, North Carolina, *North Dakota, South
Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia
» Effort to leverage partnerships in povertystricken rural areas; working to ensure that
every community has equal access to USDA
programs (RD, NRCS, FSA, FNS)
*Tribal Lands
» The 11,000-square mile (approximately 2.7 million
acres) Pine Ridge Reservation is the second-largest
Native American Reservation within the United
States. It is roughly the size of the State of
Connecticut.
» The median household
income on the Pine
Ridge Indian
Reservation is $27,065,
compared to the state
median income of
$46,3691. About 48%
of residents on the
Reservation live below
the poverty line.
2010 Census
» Out of approximately 4,700 total households,
3,300 (70%) are eligible for Oglala Sioux Lakota
Housing services, which estimates that there
are unmet housing needs for more than 1,600
low-income families.
2010 Census & Oglala Sioux Lakota Housing
Shannon County
South Dakota
South Dakota State University
Rural Life and Data Center
Michael McCurry
Mary Killsahundred
» Pine Ridge is a vibrant place with incredible people-Our culture,
language, and Tiospayes (extended family) are a source of
strength
» We are deeply connected to the earth and to each other
» We have accomplished a great deal-There is spirit in our work
» We are not healthy (our lives are shorter than anywhere in North
America)
» We are not thriving (49% of us live below the poverty line)
» We are not honoring each other
» We are not honoring ourselves (teen suicide is 150% more likely
here)
Oyate Omniciye-Oglala Lakota
Plan
Insufficient access to capital;
Capacity and capital constraints
Insufficient training, and business education
Tribal governance constraints;
Trust and restricted land status regulatory
constraints;
» Underdeveloped physical infrastructure;
» Insufficient Indian Country research and data;
» Lack of regional collaboration.
»
»
»
»
»
Growing Economies in Indian Country. April 2012
» Shift of power on reservations from baby
boomers to younger, better educated people
» More credentialed Natives - professionals
» Tribal government reorganization –
constitutional changes and reform increasing
» Sequestration triggers tribal community
discussion on sustainability
Indian Business Alliance Vision 2018 •
facilitated by Kabotie Consulting
A common theme to address these
challenges is the need for continued
and increased collaboration among
stakeholders.
Each region must encompass at least two
counties or districts
Pine Ridge has eight districts
» Oglala Sioux Tribal Council Members are elected
from each District.
» Coaching staff have gotten Tribal Council and the
Economic Development Committee endorsement
» 2-stage training series has began designed to
provide foundational training for the district
council and stakeholder organizations. The
conference includes four daily sessions, with
progressive planning and implementation steps
done concurrently with an Extension facilitator
» Communication for gatherings will be
more often word of mouth
» Meetings will begin with prayer; with an
elder in the room to begin
» Food and refreshments
» Daycare
» Must first foster the idea that they have
a voice~ EMPOWER
Stabilize and Balance
Create
Innovative
Approaches,
Products and
Services that
Influence the
Expansion of
Access
to Capital
Create, Share
and
Utilize
Purposeful Data
to Influence
Policy and
Resource
Allocation
Partner
with Tribal
Governments to
Develop Strong,
Prosperous
Economies That
Include Diverse
Private Sectors
Engage Educators and
Communities to
Transform Perceptions
and Behaviors about
Individual Native
Economies and
Entrepreneur
Development
Break through portion of
Strategic Action
Leverage and
Advocate for
Opportunities through Targeted
Communication, Information
Development and Positive Messaging
Strengthen Network and IBA Sustainability
by Exploring and Sharing Successful
Structures and Models
Indian Business Alliance Vision 2018 •
facilitated by Kabotie Consulting
Momentum
» Lakota Funds, est. 1986, offers a range of
programs that help Pine Ridge residents build
credit, savings and assets including financial
literacy training, homebuyer education, credit
education, individual development accounts,
free tax preparation and, for residents who
meet specific income guidelines, rental
housing.
» Majority of employment (65%) in Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation is in government and government enterprises.
» 30% of employment is in the private sector. Gas stations
provide the most jobs (22.8% of private sector jobs),
followed by education and health services and leisure and
hospitality jobs .
» The construction industry is also an important part of the
economy; Lakota Funds make the bulk of their loans to
construction related businesses.
» The informal sector is also robust. One study found that 83%
of all households on the reservation operated some kind of
informal business, such as hunting, trapping, drumming,
singing at ceremonies and events, beading, quilting, and
flutemaking.
Developing a common agenda is not about
creating solutions but about achieving a
common understanding of the problem,
and arriving at common indicators to which
the collective set of involved actors will hold
themselves accountable in making progress.
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Embracing Emergence:
How Collective Impact Addresses Complexity by John Kania
& Mark Kramer (2013) Leland Stanford Jr. University
“When you are moving towards an
objective, it is very important to pay
attention to the road. It is the road that
teaches us the best way to get there,
and the road enriches us as we walk its
length” Paulo Coelho
In summary…
» We know that there will be challenges
» We plan on listening more and talking less
» We will empower and not enable
» We will value the journey and learn more than
coach
» We will honor the process of SET but advocate for
cultural and economic relevance
» We will walk the road together
Christine Sorensen
[email protected]
605-224-8870 Ext. 123 -Office
605-530-5353-Cell
http://srdc.msstate.edu/set/index.html
USDA Rural Development
State Office
200 4th Street SW, Federal Building Rm. 210
Huron, SD 57350-2477
(605) 352-1100 or 1-800-670-6553
To file a complaint of discrimination, write to: USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights,
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410 Or call toll-free at
(866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federalrelay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay).
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