The snow in Alaska is long forgotten as the heat of the desert hits you the moment you walk off the plane. However, the work to make the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s Reservation Economic Summit (RES) a success starts well before the winter weather, and even before summer sockeye runs hit the Last Frontier. Once at the conference, handshakes and hugs turn quickly into strategy discussions. Old relationships pick up where they left off, and new ones form with a clear sense of purpose. At RES, connection is not a side effect of the conference; it is where it all begins. The theme for the gathering in late March was “Rising Together.”
For Alaska Native leaders, business owners, and tribal representatives, RES has become one of the most important national stages to understand where Indian Country is headed—and where Alaska can learn and grow within it. Each year, RES brings together tribal governments, Native-owned businesses, federal agencies, and corporate partners from across the country. It is widely recognized as the largest Native-focused business conference in the United States.
But more than its size (more than 5,000 registrations this year), RES is defined by its function: it is where economic opportunity turns the corner into new opportunity, business growth, and policy shifts. One day at RES can feel like three anywhere else; there is so much to learn and so many people to see.
“RES gives us a window into Indian Country at a national level,” says Aaron Leggett, president of the Native Village of Eklutna (NVE) and head of the Eklutna Gaming Authority. “We get to see what’s working, where innovation is happening, and how tribes are building sustainable economies. That’s invaluable for Alaska.”...
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