- Details
- By AMERIND
There are many considerations when protecting property, employees and covering liability exposures, especially since they are not a one-size-fits-all risk model. Working with a trusted broker on key risks to design an insurance program around those risks is critical. Property, liability, and workers' compensation policies should be uniquely crafted to protect tribal assets, while considering cultural preferences. A Tribal Workers' Compensation (TWC) program should be selected without sacrificing the ability to determine its level of coverage. Entities can avoid the fraud and abuse that's prevalent in state systems through a sovereign TWC program. There are several workers’ compensation carriers serving Indian Country, so your broker should provide multiple options to ensure you aren’t paying too much. It’s a best practice to get a new quote annually. With the upcoming October 1 renewal period, it’s worth your time to compare and save on your insurance premiums.
AMERIND’s Tribal Workers Compensation Program
AMERIND’s Tribal Worker’s Compensation product is an alternative to state programs and empowers tribal entities to take full control of their workers’ compensation program. The AMERIND Worker’s Compensation program maintains the Tribe’s sovereignty and is tailored to offer maximum effectiveness while reducing overall claim expenses. The product is customized, competitively priced and reliable. Insuring through AMERIND eliminates the need to comply with state law. Similar to state workers’ compensation programs, benefits include medical expenses, lost wages, death benefits and disability benefits. AMERIND provides online access to real-time claim information, an experienced claims team with the expertise, deductible, and self-insured retention (SIR) options.
Making Good Decisions for Indian Country
Dan Kain, business executive with the Puyallup Tribe, said he knew from his first meeting he had shared values with AMERIND. “The Tribe retained AMERIND over a decade ago based on AMERIND’s ability to provide the best coverage and rates, and, more importantly, its ability to protect the Tribe and its assets,” Kain said. “From a cost perspective, AMERIND is very competitive with larger insurance companies. A policy costs less than the competitors, making it an easy choice,” he continued. “AMERIND serves a niche market – Tribal Governments and Businesses. Tribes Protecting Tribes – it’s a motto that describes them well because they are so engaged in Indian Country. They always approach our discussions with the attitude that we’re all in this together. They want to vet your needs and then make good decisions.”
AMERIND is Your 100% Tribally Owned and Trusted Insurance Partner
An AM Best A- (Excellent) rated company, AMERIND offers a comprehensive line of affordable insurance products designed to fit the needs of Indian Country. Founded in 1986 as an act of unity among more than 400 Tribes, AMERIND is the only 100 percent Tribally owned insurance provider. The New Mexico-based AMERIND has saved Tribe’s millions of dollars – all while strengthening Native American communities and economies and elevating Tribal sovereignty. AMERIND also provides access to employee benefit solutions and strategic planning for broadband deployment by Tribal governments and business enterprises throughout Indian Country.
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher