As sovereign governments, Tribes must work to ensure a steady stream of revenues to fund services and provide for the well being of their communities and citizens for generations to come. Recognizing that there are potential declines in gaming returns, Tribes have prioritized economic diversification. Several tribes around the country have made disciplined steps to reach their future goals of having a diverse portfolio of economic initiatives to balance out their revenue opportunities for the future.

However, diversification and strategic planning is not a simple process. Successfully growing and diversifying Tribal economies requires leaders to engage in critical deliberations about what kind of society they have now and what they’re trying to build for the future. This often seems like quite a long-term task, one that might involve extensive polling of community members and internal political disagreements along the way. It doesn’t have to be. Initial, half-hour discussions between Tribal leaders and Blue Stone Strategy Group have often led to strategic plans that include a thoughtful, community-centered vision and a starting point for moving forward with economic diversification initiatives. It is important to start somewhere.

Tribes should have a solid grasp on economic and social priorities early on in their diversification plan. Asking questions such as, Is my Tribal government prepared to be self-reliant? and, Is our current and next generation of leadership equipped to manage growth? can help formulate those priorities.