"Today, many rural, agricultural Tribes are looking to USDA and the next farm bill to help break this cycle by creating a private sector industry on the reservation. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) recently passed a resolution calling for the development of an Indian Agriculture Act that would empower USDA to apply the full range of its farm, rural development, and other programs to spur the creation of a successful private-based and agriculture-focused economy on rural Indian reservations.

This Act could then become a title in the next farm bill.

For many years, the exclusive focus for Tribes was to enforce the treaties. While the treaties remain the foundation of Indian law and Tribal sovereignty, there is a growing recognition that a private sector economy is needed to improve the quality of life.

As envisioned by the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and Chairman Michael Jandreau, who proposed the NCAI resolution, an Indian Agriculture Act could do a number of things:

► Establish an Indian Agriculture Office within the Rural Development mission area to coordinate a department-wide Indian initiative.

► Provide grants to Tribal members who want to enter farming and ranching.

► Provide grants and loans for value-added agriculture businesses.

► Expand training and extension services on reservations.

► Provide farm and rural development loans on favorable terms and guarantee them. (Since Tribal land is held in trust by the Federal government, obtaining credit is major challenge on the reservations.)

► Upgrade essential infrastructure including irrigation.

► Purchase Tribal food products for USDA nutrition programs.

► Establish a special broadband program for the reservations."

Get the Story:
Marshall Matz: An Indian agriculture title could help the poorest Americans (Agri-Pulse News 4/3)