Fort Washakie, WY – The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) announced that it created a new nonprofit corporation named the Wind River Sage Fund Inc. to lead economic development projects on the Wind River Indian Reservation and across the region. The new organization will manage and deploy the $36 million Recompete grant from the Economic Development Administration and $4 million of outdoor recreation grants recently awarded by the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation. Executive leadership stated that it will pursue additional funding opportunities that align with the organization’s mission and strategic goals.
“We launched the Wind River Sage Fund to drive Native-led economic development projects in the region, while the Wind River Development Fund will stay focused on our market-competitive lending and entrepreneurial programs on the Wind River Indian Reservation,” stated Paul F. Huberty, Executive Director of the Wind River Development Fund. “This strategy allows our organizations to simultaneously focus on supporting small business growth and larger scale economic development projects while pursuing unique funding opportunities for each mission.”
WRDF will share board members and executive leadership with the Wind River Sage Fund Inc. to ensure mission alignment and strong governance between the two organizations. Roy Brown, an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe and a WRDF board member, is the new Chair of the Board of Directors for the Wind River Sage Fund. He commented, “This is an exciting time for the Wind River Reservation when it comes to economic development. Board members and staff are eager to partner with organizations and community members to complete these initiatives and bolster our economy to provide more opportunities for our communities to flourish.”
Huberty (White Earth Ojibwe) has also been named as the Executive Director of the Wind River Sage Fund. “Our Sage Fund now has more than $40 million of economic development grants specifically for the Wind River Reservation. We are rapidly shifting from planning to implementation with 14 projects to manage over the next five years. Longer-term, we see significant opportunities to accelerate economic development in Wyoming,” he stated.
WRDF developed a new collaborative, economic development framework called the Native Sovereignty Model that strengthens Native sovereignty while creating economic opportunity for everyone. With its Recompete application, which was one of only six to be selected for an award out of 565 applications submitted nationally, WRDF utilized the model to propose a unique and innovative approach to economic development in Wind River. In its application, WRDF partnered with other strong organizations and Tribal entities in the region, including Shoshone and Arapaho Tribal Fish and Game, Wind River Food Sovereignty Project, Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative, Eastern Shoshone Tribe, and Central Wyoming College.
Erika Warren-Yarber (Northern Arapaho) is the Chief Operating Officer for WRDF and the new Wind River Sage Fund. In talking about the power of partnerships, she said, “Traditionally, reservation-based organizations and entities competed against each other to attract funding for economic development and capacity building. When we focus on collaboration and reciprocity, as opposed to competitiveness and siloed thinking, the possibilities are endless. Supporting each other’s missions and dreams is an incredibly empowering experience.”