Entries by Isaiah Cornelius

U.S. Department of Interior Announces New Partnerships and Offices

Oweesta Corporation and Native CDFI Network are named as new partners Oweesta is excited to announce a new partnership, alongside Native CDFI Network (NCN), with the U.S. Department of Interior. As part of an MOU, Oweesta and NCN will increase access to financial resources and leverage opportunities for Tribal communities and entrepreneurs. We are grateful […]

Making Forever Homes Possible in Lac du Flambeau

Patti Maulson was ready to rebuild her life after going through a divorce that left her bankrupt. A tribal member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa tribe, she decided to return home to the reservation and become a homeowner once more. With the bankruptcy fresh on her credit report, she couldn’t […]

Decolonizing Food Systems In Maine

“We sealed the eel deal,” Tawny Wilson, Loan Officer at NDN Fund shared a joke popular within the NDN team. After three years of working closely with the Indian Township Enterprise (ITE), the economic development arm of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, NDN Fund and ITE closed out a $1.5M loan to support a joint venture in […]

Turning Beads into a Business in Rapid City

When Black Hills Community Loan Fund opened applications for their new program “Pivoting in a Pandemic,” they received 200 applications within three days for only twenty openings. Beau, a beadwork artist based in Rapid City, South Dakota, landed one of the coveted spots that would help him “pivot” his fledgling beading business to e-commerce. Beau […]

Heinz Family Foundation Announces $1.5 Million in Awards

Today, the Heinz Family Foundation recognized Oweesta’s CEO and President Chrystel Cornelius as the recipient of the 27th Heinz Award for the Economy. Established in 1993 in honor of the late U.S. Senator John Heinz, the Heinz Awards recognize individuals for their contributions in the areas of the Arts, the Economy, and the Environment. Chrystel […]

The Rolling Rez: Giving “Mobile Banking” a New Meaning

Every two weeks, on Tribal Pay Days, when the Tribe (the largest employer on the Pine Ridge Reservation) disperses paychecks, a brightly painted bus pulls up. The Rolling Rez is a bank on wheels that travels the fifty miles from Kyle to Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and services Tribal employees with their banking needs. People have access […]

Oweesta Presents Our New Branding

Over the past 20 years, Oweesta’s purpose and programming has been adapting to address the ever-evolving needs of Indian Country. Last year, we made perhaps the most significant step for our future when we spun off from our parent organization. We figured this momentous step required us to adopt a new visual identity that would carry us […]