Congress hears calls to overhaul tribal economic programs as RES 2026 nears
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Derrick Watchman, left, sits on a panel with other speakers during last year’s Reservation Economic Summit at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, including Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis, second from right, and Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, right.
By Donovan Quintero
Special to the Times
ST. JOHNS, Ariz. – Lawmakers and tribal leaders pressed federal agencies Feb. 6 in Washington, D.C., over barriers they say continue to hamper economic development in Indian Country, describing a federal system they said is fragmented, inflexible and often out of reach for smaller, rural tribes.
The Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing, “Making Federal Economic Development Programs Work in Indian Country,” examining whether federal programs are delivering economic results for tribal communities. Lawmakers heard testimony from tribal leaders, finance officers and business advocates who said federal policies and bureaucratic practices are stalling projects, limiting access to capital and weakening tribal self-determination.
Witnesses described a system where programs exist on paper, but tribes with the least capacity often have the hardest time reaching them, navigating them or competing under rules they said reward size, staffing depth and prior success.
To read the full article, please see the March 5, 2026, edition of the Navajo Times.
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