Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Launches Survey of Native Nations to Enhance Economic Data for Tribal Communities

Federal Reserve Launches Survey of Native Nations to Bridge Economic Data Gaps

MINNEAPOLIS — In a significant move to enhance economic understanding in Indian Country, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis officially launched its Survey of Native Nations on Thursday. This initiative aims to fill critical gaps in economic data for federally recognized tribes, a need that tribal leaders have long emphasized.

The announcement was made during a panel discussion at the 10th anniversary event and annual data summit for the Center for Indian Country Development (CICD), the Federal Reserve’s dedicated research and policy institute focused on tribal economies.

“Without this data, it literally would cost us hundreds of millions of dollars,” stated Chairman Gerald Gray of the Little Shell Tribe of Montana, which participated in the survey’s pilot phases. “When you’re talking about local economies, state economies, federal — everything we do is reliant on data.”

The CICD has spent over two years developing the survey’s framework, initially piloting it with tribes in Montana in the summer of 2023 before expanding to tribes in the Pacific Northwest and along the East Coast. The pilot phases collected fiscal year 2022 data, laying the groundwork for a broader data initiative launched three years ago to make economic information more accessible to tribal governments.

Phil Gover, senior project manager at the CICD, highlighted the inadequacies of existing public data sources, which often overlook tribal economies. “Geography-based datasets rarely consider tribal geographies in their design,” he explained. “Data masking techniques meant to protect anonymity can render information about smaller communities inaccurate or entirely absent.”

The new survey addresses these shortcomings while prioritizing tribal data sovereignty. Tribes retain ownership of their data and control its use through data use agreements. The survey’s flexible design allows tribes to choose which questions to answer and what type of data to share, ensuring that estimates and ranges are acceptable.

“In an era of federal funding uncertainty, understanding how federal transfers flow through the public economy at the local level can help tribes plan and advocate for themselves,” Gover noted. “This data can contextualize how tribal governments impact the local economy and deliver programs and services.”

Building trust with tribal governments was crucial to the survey’s development, according to leaders who participated in the pilot phases. “Data gathering efforts in Indian Country haven’t always been performed in good faith,” said Amber Schultz-Oliver, executive director of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians. “That’s why I appreciate CICD’s approach — taking a slow build and patiently identifying metrics that will be most impactful and useful to tribes.”

The CICD collaborated with the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and the United South and Eastern Tribes to expand the survey to their member tribes during the second pilot phase, which ran from September 2024 through April 2025, involving eleven tribes from nine states.

The reports generated from the survey will include three sections: a profile using public data about the tribe’s geography and demographics; comparisons between the tribe’s fiscal data and local county or municipal governments; and anonymized, aggregated data from other participating tribes for comparative analysis.

Kitcki Carroll, executive director of United South and Eastern Tribes, emphasized that the survey supports tribal decision-making rather than merely serving as a tool for grant justification. “This is a survey of nations, of government structures, not clubs,” he asserted. “The data conversation should be about tribal decision-makers having the information to make decisions that are best for our people.”

Chairman Gray noted the survey’s particular significance for the Little Shell Tribe, which gained federal recognition in December 2019. The tribe’s participation in both pilot phases provided a baseline comparison of its economy before and after federal recognition, including the period when it received pandemic relief funding.

Tribes interested in participating in the survey can reach out to the Center for Indian Country Development through its website. Participation requires approval from tribal leadership and coordination with tribal finance staff, with no costs beyond the time needed to compile responses.

As the Federal Reserve takes this crucial step, the hope is that the Survey of Native Nations will empower tribes with the data they need to advocate for their communities and drive economic growth in Indian Country.