Both sides of a dispute over inter-tribal commerce expect the case to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

The state of Kansas is suing the Winnebago Tribe for allegedly failing to pay $2.5 million in gas distribution taxes. But a federal appeals court has stopped the state from trying to collect.

The venture, which supplied gas to three tribes in Kansas, is just one of many enterprises operated by Ho-Chunk Inc., the Winnebago Tribe's economic development corporation. Founded by the tribe in 1994, the corporation has grown from one man, CEO and tribal member Lance Morgan, to one with $70 million in annual sales. The tribe has cut unemployment from 70 percent to 10 percent with a diverse portfolio that includes a car dealership, convenience stores and a home manufacturer.

Ho-Chunk Inc. owns Indianz.Com and AllNative.Com.

Get the Story:
Tribe Finds Ways to Create Jobs (The Wall Street Journal 2/18)

Relevant Links:
Winnebago Tribe - http://www.winnebagotribe.com
Ho-Chunk Inc. - http://www.hochunkinc.com

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