At this year's Reservation Economic Summit, or RES, the convention broke a record with over 5,000 attendees at the March 23-26 gathering. At the conference tribal leaders were trying to strengthen Indigenous businesses and communities. One of the biggest topics was tribal energy independence.
To that end, there were several sessions centered around the topic this year. The sessions, which experienced crowds large enough to fill available seating and overflow into standing room only, touted the benefits of having power grids on reservations, such as job creation, a source of income for the tribe, and energy sovereignty.
Officials said tribes can be more energy independent by adding solar farms to their reservations, like one found on the Moapa Indian Reservation, just outside of Las Vegas.
The conference indicated that tribal leaders as a whole are aiming to move away from their reliance on outside utility companies, as many feel that these companies are only looking out for their bottom line, rather than the tribes' best interest.
Aside from energy independence, attendees also had the opportunity to join sessions on expanding their cannabis industry, growing healthcare on reservations, and data centers.
Guest: Jimmy Romo, KNPR's Indigenous Affairs Reporter/Producer
