ONABEN is guided by a vision of a healthy economy for Native American communities. Such an economy will be a mix of tribal and individual enterprises sufficient in size and activity to sustain our communities, our neighbors, the land and the creatures around us. Such an economy will offer our youth models for business success and opportunities to become business builders. By increasing private enterprises on the reservations, tribes can diversify their economic base and decrease their reliance on federal revenues.
Our goal is to build social capital and increase organizational capacity of organizations, as well as the entrepreneurs they serve. We believe focusing efforts on these groups as foundational change makers in their communities and making them stronger and more capable, is the most effective way to bring about positive change and result in more vibrant Native communities and increased prosperity among Native peoples. It is our hope and experienced opinion this will in turn lead to increased financial literacy, more loans and improved access to capital for aspiring Indianpreneurs and Native-owned businesses. All of which means more assets in families, more small businesses, more dollars circulating within local economies and more jobs created. Ultimately, our goal is to lay the foundation for a higher level of peer collaboration, self-sufficiency and resiliency, while reducing poverty within Native communities.
