Tribal leaders and Indian entrepreneurs are meeting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, this week for the eighth annual Bureau of Indian Affairs Great Plains Regional Tribal Economic Development Summit.

The summit is being held on Wednesday and Thursday. Organizers expect 400 people to attend the event at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center.

Speakers include Lance Morgan, the chief executive officer of Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development corporation of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Ho-Chunk Inc owns Indianz.Com and AllNative.Com.

Tex Hall, the chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation of North Dakota, Cecilia Fire Thunder, the president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota and South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds (R) are also on the agenda.

On Wednesday, Hall will announce a partnership between the Inter-Tribal Economic Alliance and PassNet Inc., an aviations company based in Minnesota. ITEA and PassNet will be providing air ambulance service to Indian trauma patients in the Great Plains region. Hall serves as chairman of the board of directors of ITEA.

Get the Story:
Indian jobs focus of summit (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 4/25)