Guest Opinion

It’s the end of Q1 for many Native business entities, and economic opportunity is abundant. Native Nations have learned from the past about the long trajectories of economic growth and now understand how to accelerate the deployment of capital and leverage assets toward positive profits and increased value. I am not taking away from the original innovators and their lessons learned, but rather acknowledging and honoring the foundation they built.

Today, new markets are emerging across multiple industries. Native Nations are utilizing sovereign strategies, financial leverage, partnerships, and joint ventures. My glass is definitely half full. Banks are lending when organizations work together, many equity markets have grown throughout the quarter, and AI has helped reduce costs while providing faster and better analytics. Challenges remain, but we have an opportunity to look beyond a deficit lens and incorporate asset-based economic strategies to achieve higher returns.

With this positive momentum, opportunities continue to emerge as Native Nations move toward economic sovereignty. However, these opportunities were built over the past several years and continue to evolve every day. About five years ago, the economy faced significant challenges due to global pandemic policies. Many companies, including Native business entities, developed foundational growth strategies and built capacity to identify future growth areas, capitalize on advantages, reduce costs, increase EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation), and leverage additional assets and capital.

Increased value was driven by strong financial performance and positive EBITDA, as relying solely on valuation as a measure of growth for Native businesses can be somewhat constrained by reservation ownership restrictions.

We need to measure what matters. It’s time to see how these strategies worked. How did you perform?

Moving forward, economic leadership will require shifting into a new gear. Change is evident, and it provides an opportunity to refocus and, frankly, a call to action. It requires evaluating past performance and future opportunities.

Through aLocal.ai research—conducted in collaboration with Waséyabek Development Company, L.L.C. and funded through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)—for the 2024 Michigan Non-Gaming Tribal Economic Impact Study, the opportunity for growth is evident. This research serves not only as a map and business strategy for generating positive net profit, but also raises an important question: What are you driving, and is the vehicle ready for the journey?

Many companies with multiple holdings should be generating 10–15% net profit returns. Not every company is publicly traded, and growth-stage ventures often realize higher returns. These returns allow businesses to reinvest, grow, and weather economic challenges. Such benchmarks are representative of industry performance as a whole.

Better data leads to better decisions. Better leaders use better data.

Leadership has always required making difficult choices, and opportunity is what drives economic strategy. Native Nations can no longer afford to be merely casino-comfortable or become “super excited” about a new opportunity simply because it is new or interesting. Analytics exist. Proven business models exist. There are countless examples of Native Nations successfully developing sovereign economic strategies.

Technology, lending, development, AI, cryptocurrency, corporate structuring, and efforts to identify and capture economic leakage have all progressed. If your team is not performing, lacks a clear strategy toward profitability, cannot provide transparent financial reporting, or seems to have an abundance of excuses, then it may be time to identify assets that can drive growth and positive profits. Common denominators often yield common results.

It’s time to seize this opportunity and build a successful team.

It’s time to make a change. Opportunity is not a bad word.

Change is difficult, but opportunity is abundant. Advancing the future of your family and Native Nation must remain the priority. Native economic sovereignty moves the conversation from millions to billions of dollars. Building strong teams and generating returns from your assets should be the focus.

Look at your assets and decide whether your future will be defined by the past few years or built by seizing new opportunities and generating positive returns for your Native Nation. This is not the time to stick your head in the sand.

Whatever leadership position you hold, all voices in the economic sovereignty space deserve to be heard, respected, and considered. Elected officials, appointees, neighbors, employees, citizens, consultants, researchers, and supporters all have a voice in ensuring that economic efforts generate positive returns and support economic sovereignty.

Find ways to seize opportunities while honoring the economic foundation that has been built. Generate resources not only for today, but use those resources to create the foundation for future growth.

Knock. Knock… Answer the door!

Dr. Eric S. Trevan, Ph.D., is president of aLocal.ai, an award-winning AI market and economic analytics company recognized with the 2026 Leadership of Economic Sovereignty Award and the 2025 American Indian Business of the Year Award. He serves as an independent director for IP Strategy (NASDAQ: IPST), sits on several Native business boards, and is a former tenure-track professor at California State University San Marcos. Trevan is a citizen of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi.