Native American Trade Network Launched

2008-09-19 23:33:01 -

- For Native American Group Michelle Kincaid, 202-737-8400 Weekend phone: 202-577-9545 mkincaid@johnadams.com Representatives from several Native American tribes will gather at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian on Tuesday, Sept. 23 to announce the launch of the first-ever Native American economic consortium.

Called the Native American Group, initial participants include the Seminole Tribe of Florida; the Oneida

Nation of Wisconsin, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, California; the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Oregon; the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, South Dakota; the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, North and South Dakota; the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, Washington; the Campo Kumeyaay Nation, California; and the Yankton Sioux Tribe, South Dakota.

The Native American Group will bring the most economically advantaged tribes - especially those with diverse business interests - together to leverage their collective buying power to benefit all of Indian Country. Through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, the consortium has enlisted the support of federal officials to help identify additional tribes to participate in consortium programs.

"Our overall goal is economic development for more than 500 Indian tribes," said Richard Bowers, president of the Board of Directors of the Seminole Tribe. "We want to spread economic opportunity in Indian Country by encouraging more tribes to get into business and by offering more products and services to each other. The consortium offers a ready-made market for tribes with available products or the opportunity to develop them." -0- WHO: Tribal leaders from across Indian Country WHAT: Launch of the "Native American Group" Tribal Trading Consortium WHERE: Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian WHEN: Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 11:00 a.m. CONTACT: Michelle Kincaid, John Adams Associates (202) 737 - 8400 or mkincaid@johnadams.com

Aims to Spur Economic Development for more than 500 Indian Tribes