1. Challenges to Development on the Navajo Nation

2. What I Did Intern at Tuba City Regional Business Development Office Intern at Tuba City Regional Business Development Office Serves 16 chapters of Navajo Nation Serves 16 chapters of Navajo Nation Helps facilitate small business development 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 -Provides technical assistance with local community planning, business site leasing, and business site development -Offers training programs for entrepreneurs

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

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

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

7. The Process

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

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