The Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) based at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has welcomed three new members to its Leadership Council:
- Debbie Atuk (Inupiaq, Kingikmiut), Chair, Bering Straits Native Corporation Government Services LLC
- Cory Blankenship (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), Executive Director, NAFOA
- Kūhiō Lewis (Native Hawaiian), CEO, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
CICD is a research and policy institute working to advance the economic self-determination and prosperity of Native nations and Indigenous communities through actionable data and research that inform public policy discussions.
“CICD Leadership Council members contribute important perspectives and expertise to increase our understanding of economic research and data opportunities in Native communities,” said CICD Director Casey Lozar (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes). “Our new members join a distinguished group of Indian Country leaders, and we’re grateful for their service on behalf of Native economies.”
In 2022, CICD undertook a major initiative to close Indian Country data gaps and build economic datasets that can empower Native peoples and communities to shape their economic futures. In addition to developing a suite of new data tools, CICD is partnering with tribes through its Survey of Native Nations to equip tribal leaders with comparative public finance data that may inform local decisions and economic planning.
Newly appointed Leadership Council members join an advisory group that reflects key representatives from national and regional Native organizations, tribal leadership, and tribal economic development and finance practitioners. Leadership Council members provide input into CICD’s applied research, data tools, and policy analysis by helping to uncover gaps in the knowledge base and identifying impediments to economic opportunity and growth in Native communities. Members are appointed by Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that, with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the Federal Reserve System, the nation’s central bank. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is responsible for the Ninth Federal Reserve District, which includes Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis participates in setting national monetary policy, supervises numerous banking organizations, and provides a variety of payments services to financial institutions and the U.S. government.