TWIN ARROWS RESORT – A new dawn for economic development on the Navajo Nation.
That’s how Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Navajo Nation Vice President Jonathan Nez envision the future for the Navajo people.
President Russell Begaye stated that economic development contributes to job creation which is one of the four pillars of the Begaye-Nez Administration. The four pillars of the administration are Veterans/ Veterans Services, Youth/Elders, Infrastructure and Job Creation.
“The Navajo Nation is at a pivotal point in time where we are faced with declining revenues; therefore, we must work together as a diplomatic team to generate new funding sources for the Navajo Nation. We can no longer rely heavily on coal, oil and gas. We need to incorporate innovative technology, diversify our economic base and establish partnerships with an array of entities on and off the Navajo Nation and find solutions to our economic challenges.”
The 2016 Navajo Nation Economic Summit will be held at the Twin Arrows Casino and Resort on April 11-13, 2016 to address a variety of economic development issues on the Navajo Nation. Representatives of coveted tribal businesses such as Southern Ute Growth Fund, NANA Development Corporation and Ho-Chunk, Inc. will be featured to present along with successful Navajo business owners.
Navajo Nation Chief Operations Officer Robert Joe explained, “Rather than starting from scratch and re-inventing the wheel, we can refine and optimize our Navajo Nation enterprises and corporations and learn from tribes who have created impactful and successful business models. We can implement business strategies that will suit the needs of the Navajo Nation. As President Begaye stated, we cannot boost the Navajo Nation economy alone, we must work together as partners. We hope the Navajo Nation Economic Summit will showcase successful businesses, which will then spark new interest and energy to help revive our communities.”
Vice President Jonathan Nez echoed President Begaye’s comments and stated that the Navajo Nation has an unemployment rate of more than 50 percent.
“We must continue to collaborate and develop new job opportunities for our people. I commend the many different entrepreneurs on the Navajo Nation who work tirelessly to survive. You are the backbone of the Navajo Nation economy and you personify the strength and tenacious spirit of the Navajo people. Since the beginning of time, the Navajo people have been resilient and used our Dine’ language, cultural values, ceremonies, songs and prayer to survive. We must continue to incorporate these same values today and use it as a foundation to carry us into the next generation.”
For more information about the Navajo Nation Economic Summit, please contact the Navajo Nation Division of Economic Development at (928) 871-6547 or 6544 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
