Harvard presents Siyeh Corp. with "High Honors"

Glacier Peaks StarLink Cable Heritage Center    Blackfeet Coins Discovery Lodge Oki Communications Siyeh Home About Siyeh Honoring Nations Award Contact Siyeh Blackfeet Links Glacier Links Montana Links Siyeh Projects Wind Energy Siyeh Privacy Siyeh Pass and Mount Siyeh in Glacier National Park Montana Harvard honors Blackfeet By Jared Miller, Great Falls Tribune, November 3, 2005 BROWNING — Siyeh Development Corporation, the Blackfeet Tribe's semi-independent business arm, won a prestigious award for excellence Tuesday from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. At a ceremony in Tulsa, Okla., Siyeh Development received the "High Honors" distinction from the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. The Harvard Project recognizes innovation in American Indian tribal governance.   Loren Bird Rattler, Alfreda Mitre, Stephen Cornell The Confederated Salish and Kootenai of the Flathead Reservation, the only other Montana group to receive the honor, were honored in 2003. Siyeh Development is credited with creating dozens of jobs on the Blackfeet Reservation and removing many of the political influences from tribal business decisions. "I think it recognizes that the tribe's efforts to find an alternative way to develop their economic resources have been recognized as successful and could be used to help other tribes do the same," said Dennis Fitzpatrick, general manager of Siyeh Development. Blackfeet Tribal Councilman Fred Guardipee was on hand to receive the award. Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who was in Tulsa for the annual meeting of the National Congress of American Indians, also attended the ceremony. Created by the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council in 1999, Siyeh Development Corp. was based on what was then a radical concept. The tribal council essentially agreed to relinquish power over tribal money-making enterprises to a private, tribal-owned corporation and its board of directors. The idea worked. Siyeh quickly turned the tribe's ailing bingo hall from a money sieve with a history of gaming violations to a moneymaker. In the next six years, the corporation bought or created five other businesses, including the heritage center, a cable TV company and a bottled water company. People involved with the project say the model works because it keeps tribal politics out of tribal business.  That's not always the case when the tribal council has direct control. The corporate model also emphasized profit over job creation, and actually increased reservation employment. Siyeh Development now employs more than 100 people, and in 2004 had an annual payroll of more than $1 million. The corporation is owned completely by the tribe. The tribal council appoints the board members. The road to success hasn't been without bumps.  One major obstacle has been convincing tribal members that it's a good idea to let Siyeh run tribal business affairs. Some elders, long acquainted with a system that puts the word of the tribal council above all else, are suspicious of the new system.  Partly for that reason, Siyeh has been the focus of controversy on the reservation. Darrell Kipp, the Harvard-educated chairman of the Siyeh Development Corp. Board of Directors, said it's now becoming clear that Siyeh is an integral part of the tribal government. "I think the award, although it is to Siyeh, represents an award to the Blackfeet Nation itself for its foresight to move ahead in a business-like way to develop its resources," Kipp said. The award comes with a $10,000 purse.  The money is to be used to help other tribes learn from Siyeh's successes. Fitzpatrick said Siyeh will come up with a plan for the money, which must be approved by the Harvard organization. The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development was founded in 1987 to understand and foster social and economic development among American Indian nations.  The awards program is five years old and is co-directed by Manley A. Begay, Jr., Joseph Kalt and Stephen Cornell. Reach Tribune Regional Reporter Jared Miller at (406)791-6573, (800) 438-6600 or at jarmille@greatfal.gannett.com. Honoring Nations Press Release (Adobe Acrobat - 35K) Harvard honors tribal governments' work By JODI RAVE of the Missoulian Siyeh Development wins High Honors from Harvard By John McGill, Glacier Reporter Editor, November 9, 2005 (Back row left to right) Jim St. Goddard-BTBC, Joe Fisher-Siyeh Board, Darrell Kipp-Chair-Siyeh Board, Dennis Fitzpatrick-CEO-Siyeh, Joe Bremner-Siyeh Board, Joe Gervais-Siyeh Board, Marilyn Parsons-Siyeh Board (Front row left to right) Jay St. Goddard-Vice-Chair-BTBC, Pat Thomas-Chair-BTBC, Fred Guardipee-Secretary-BTBC, Earl Old Person-BTBC “One of the most important things about this award is that it was based upon a great deal of evaluation and intensive site visits by the professional staff of the Harvard Project,” said Siyeh's board chairman, Darrell Kipp Monday, Nov. 7, at the tribal corporation's Browning headquarters. The business arm of the Blackfeet Nation had just returned from the National Congress of American Indians in Tulsa, Okla. a week earlier, High Honors in hand from the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.  One of only 14 tribal government initiatives to be honored Nov. 1, the Blackfeet project was one of seven to win the top $10,000 award. “That means it was based on year-long research into Siyeh's activities, and it was a perfect evaluation.  Also, Siyeh has a staff of more than 100 employees, and I believe each one of them shares in this honor as an employee of Siyeh,” Kipp said. Harvard reps visited Siyeh last spring and toured the facilities and businesses managed by the tribal corporation.  The Harvard Project was based on research which found tribal businesses that are kept separate from the political structure of the tribe succeed far more regularly than those which suffer political interference.  Siyeh Development was created in 1999 to survive changes in tribal leadership and tribal politics, with the Tribal Council giving up most control over the running of the business.  A unique program, Siyeh was organized under Section 17 of the Indian Reorganization Act.  As predicted by their research, the Harvard plan is working in Blackfeet country, and now the Blackfeet model will be codified and distributed to other tribes as a result of Siyeh's award. “It was nice to be among so many programs doing so many things in Indian country,” said Loren Bird Rattler, general manager of Siyeh's Blackfeet Heritage Center.  “I'm very proud of Siyeh because it is a great company that employs a lot of Blackfeet,” said Tribal Chairman Pat Thomas.  “The Blackfeet Tribal Business Council fully supports Siyeh.” Among its business ventures, Siyeh provides cable television, bottled water, an art gallery and heritage center, and two casinos. A finalist in the Honoring Nations competition By John McGill, Glacier Reporter Editor, August 24, 2005 "Over the past 18 years, the Harvard Project has undertaken hundreds of research studies and advisory projects.  The research consistently finds that development is most likely to take hold when Indian nations exercise their sovereignty by building capable and culturally appropriate institutions of self-governance," reads a piece written by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. Amy Besaw, Dennis Fitzpatrick, Darrell Kipp, Jay Preston, Duane Champagne As part of the Harvard Project's Honoring Contributions in the Governance of American Indian Nations (Honoring Nations), the Blackfeet Tribe's Siyeh Development Corporation came under scrutiny Wednesday, Aug. 17, when representatives of Honoring Nations conducted a site visit.  The one-day tour represents part of the final selection process for Harvard's Honoring Nations Awards, and Siyeh is one of 14 finalists in the competition. Colleen Barcus of Siyeh reports the competition was first forwarded to her office by Siyeh Board Chairman Darrell Kipp, and she and representatives from Blackfeet Planning worked to submit a four-part essay as the opening bid for recognition. "The formation of Siyeh Corporation was in direct response to informational research on effective models of economic development for tribes," reads the Siyeh application.  "Forming a for-profit corporation separate from tribal politics has created a professional business climate that insulates tribal political decisions from business decisions made by the Siyeh Corporation Board of Directors." The Honoring Nations competition not only recognizes top examples of independent tribal economic development with its "Honors" and "High Honors" awards, the cash prizes are to be used exclusively to produce training programs for other tribes to emulate. Honoring Nations reps Amy Besaw and Duane Champagne arrived Wednesday with Ronan Telephone Company President Jay Preston, who also has an interest in developing tribal economies.  The trio was shown around Siyeh's enterprises, and board chairman Darrell Kipp explained the bigger picture surrounding Siyeh's overall philosophy of operation. "This gives us an opportunity to show off a model with long-term benefits to the Blackfeet and other tribes," said Fitzpatrick of the visit.  Barcus noted the Blackfeet are only one of two Montana tribes to be honored by the Harvard group, and said it is very prestigious for Siyeh to be honored considering Harvard was recently rated one of the two top colleges in the United States. All the finalists are on their way to Tulsa, Oklahoma, this November for the final round of evaluation, conducted in conjunction with the annual meeting of the National Congress of American Indians. If the Blackfeet receive High Honors, they will be asked to submit a proposal outlining their plans to spend the $10,000, sharing their success story with other tribes. || Siyeh || Glacier Peaks Casino || StarLink Cable || Blackfeet Heritage Center || || Blackfeet Coins || Discovery Lodge Casino || Oki Communications || About Siyeh || || Honoring Nations || Contact Siyeh || Blackfeet Links || Glacier Links || || Montana Links || Projects || Wind Energy || Privacy || © 2004-08 Siyeh Corporation, Blackfeet Nation, Browning, Montana.   Design by CCC.