As more and more tribes diversify their economies, they are seeking to attract more business to the reservation.

Craig Nolte, a community affairs adviser for the Federal Reserve Bank, suggest tribes adopt a uniform commercial code. He also says tribes should separate business decisions from politics.

The Colville Tribes of Washington did that in 1984 and has seen business boom. "Now we have banks coming to us," Eddie Palmanteer, chairman of the board of the Colville Tribal Enterprise Corp, tells The Puget Sound Business Journal.

Tribal members and others who have worked with tribes say doing business on a reservation requires knowledge of sovereignty and tribal culture. Ed Augustavo, a partner at Augustavo Burrus Advertising, said people have some misconceptions about tribes.

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Tribes court private sector (The Puget Sound Business Journal 11/22)