The Kashia Band of Pomo Indians in California acquired 480 acres of ancestral territory with the help of the Indian Land Capital Company. Tribal members gave up their per capita payments to fund the transaction. A land-into-trust application is now pending at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Photo from Kashia Pomo Environmental Assessment
Rjay Brunkow, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, has been selected as the new chief executive officer of the Indian Land Capital Company. Brunkow will lead the organization that provides loans and financing for tribes that are seeking to expand their land bases. He comes to the job with a background in Indian law, investment banking and economic development. “I see this as an exciting opportunity to grow a new lending model in Indian Country -- one that recognizes tribal sovereignty, does not require land as collateral and engages with the Native nation to find a financing package that works for them," Brunkow said in a press release "I am very excited to be part of this effort." The Indian Land Capital Company is a joint venture between the non-profit Indian Land Tenure Foundation and the Native American Community Development Corporation of Montana. Since its inception in 2005, loans worth $14 million have enabled 15 tribes to acquire about 35,300 acres. “ILCC’s mission is to help tribes regain control over their assets, especially land, in order to promote tribal sovereignty, economies, and culture,” said Cris Stainbrook, who serves as chair of the board and the president of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation. “ILCC uniquely honors tribal sovereignty through its full faith in credit lending to Native nations.” The Indian Land Capital Company and the Indian Land Tenure Foundation are based in Little Canada, Minnesota.
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