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When Native nations thrive, they tend to lift up the non-Indigenous communities that are their neighbors. This is particularly true in rural areas, where Native nation governments, tribal businesses, and Native nation citizens represent a larger proportion of the local governance infrastructure, economy, and population than in urban areas and thus generate a larger share of local jobs, spending, and tax dollars.
This second product in the Thrive Rural Field Perspectives series shows that when tribes center sovereignty, Indigenous institutions, and culture in their development processes, they increase the probability of reaching their development goals and can build community wealth that is more aligned with tribal values and lifeways. The authors also highlight how Native nations and rural communities, working side-by-side and together, can strengthen the potential for thriving rural regions.
