fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
Donate Get Newsletter
Donate Get Newsletter
 

  Tribal Business News Round-Up: Dec. 05

Tags

Details
This week in Tribal Business News, a Native-owned fintech company raises $2.2M in pre-seed capital; an Oklahoma Tribe prepares for upcoming drone flight coordinator; and a new report examines how digital redlining stymies broadband in Indian Country.  


Native-owned fintech Totem raises $2.2M in pre-seed capital, eyes spring 2023 launch
Native-founded and -led fintech startup Totem Technologies Inc. plans to use the proceeds from its $2.2 million pre-seed round to continue developing its technology and building out its staff. Founded this year by CEO Amber Buker (Choctaw), the company is creating a digital banking app to serve the needs of Native communities and partner with tribal governments to help them distribute benefits to their members.

Osage Nation enterprise prepares for upcoming drone flight corridor
A $39 million investment for the Indian Nation Council of Governments bore its first fruit in early December by way of a partnership between the Osage Nation and Oklahoma City-based DronePort Network.

A developer of business and financial strategies for the aeronautics industry, DronePort will manage a planned 114-mile flight corridor between Oklahoma State University, Osage Nation, and Tulsa facilities. 

‘Digital redlining’ inhibits tribal broadband development
A new report from the Communications Equity and Diversity Council of the Federal Communication Commission outlines the problem in detail, calling it “digital discrimination” or “digital redlining” and pointing to under-investment in typically marginalized communities on the part of larger broadband providers. 

Want more Tribal Business News? Get the free weekly newsletter today.

Digital redlining has created large gaps in access to broadband, which also limits access to industries and economic opportunities dependent on consistent, effective internet, according to the report.

Tribal Business News Briefs
As well, the DOI announced $50M to clean up orphaned oil and gas wells on tribal lands, and Mashantucket Pequot-owned Command Holdings announces its first federal contract through a new subsidiary.

More Stories Like This

Potential First Native American Federal Judge in Oklahoma Advances Toward Senate Confirmation
Photos from the 2023 White House Tribal Nations Summit
Native News Weekly (December 10, 2023): D.C. Briefs
December 10th is the 75th Human Rights Day
Vice President Harris Addresses Indian Boarding Schools at the White House Tribal Nations Summit

 
In a world filled with inaccurate narratives about Native Americans, we spotlight the overlooked, unheard and underrepresented stories that are often overlooked by the mainstream media. Our journalism is free for all to read, but it is not free to produce. Your donation provides the much-needed financial support for us to produce inclusive Indigenous journalism that inspires, informs and uplifts Native Americans. Thank you for being a force behind our work. Together, we are rewriting the narrative.
 
About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].