Thad Rose

Eagle Butte, South Dakota

“Land stewardship is very important to Native American people. Native American means that our people were here first, and we have that connection with the land.”

–Thad Rose, Rancher

Agriculture is one way members of sovereign Tribal nations are able to preserve that connection while making a living for their families and supporting their local economies.

But this type of business requires an incredible amount of capital to operate, capital often accessed through a loan. It can be difficult for Native ag producers working or leasing Tribal trust lands to obtain the primary financing needed to get started or continue growing.

The forced introduction of an individualized system of land ownership dispossessed many Native people of the ability to freely benefit from their traditional lands. And in many cases, Tribes were displaced from lands they’d called home for centuries – unable to even access its life-giving resources. Today, this system restricts access to the capital needed for modern economic viability. To challenge this inequity, an innovative financial organization, built by and for Native ag producers, is upending how lending is done. Akiptan sees opportunity where other lenders see risk.

“We are choosing to use agriculture to drive prosperity forward. The more one of us succeeds, the more we all succeed.”

–Skya Ducheneaux, Executive Director, Akiptan

Published 2024

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