Native American Impact Fund Expecting Double Digit Returns

NEW YORK - July 27, 2016 - PRLog -- Native American Nations have been in a constant battle to maintain their sovereign rights to protect their lands, distinct culture, society and even way of life. With media headlines focused on a small percentage of tribes succeeding in their casino operations, such as the Seminole's potential $3B state-tribal gaming compact, the controversy in naming sports team mascots or Hollywood's portrayal of mafia-like corruption of a tribal business operated by the fictional Ugaya Tribe in an episode of "House of Cards," there has been huge misperception in the portrayal of Native American Nations as powerful, diverse and sustainable conglomerates, given that the reality could not be further from the truth. Taking a closer look, a crisis within Native America is ever mounting: high school dropout rates (33%), extreme poverty (25%), drug addiction (39%), lack of healthcare access (42%), compounded by a lack of economic opportunities have led to mortality rates by Alcoholism and Diabetes of 514% and 177%, respectively, above the national average. Sadly, this has led to an average life expectancy in some US regions of Native Americans as low as 49 years of age, according to recent US Census and CDC data. These systemic issues facing Native America will not be solved by the politicians, non-profits, philanthropic endeavors or governmental agencies which affect 567 Native American Tribes and include 229 Indigenous Alaskan Communities. To combat the long-term issue of Native American Tribal sustainability, the only real solution can come from connecting the dots between leveraging tribal sovereignty, corporate America, industry leadership, and education, with a sustainable outlook measured in generations, not by fiscal quarters.

"As Past COO of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc., I have seen what is possible when tribal leadership and private capitalism come together in mutual partnership. The launch of the Native American Venture Fund® (NAVF) denotes one solution in the creation of win-win partnerships between Native American Tribes and Corporate America with access to private capital, business opportunities and leadership, with a careful reverence to maintain and preserve the tribal culture. Why Native American Tribes? Native American Tribes are granted under the Constitution, Congress and Presidential Executive Order unique economic and development rights that when exercised, provide a huge economic advantage for the sustainable, profitable development and partnership. Unfortunately, just as most American Citizens do not recognize their Constitutional Rights, many Indigenous Nations fail to recognize, understand or leverage their 'Sovereign' rights as a 'Domestically Domiciled Nation' within the United States. Leveraging Sovereign Tribal Rights to the purpose of sustainable economic development will create huge earnings, promote jobs creation, education, and infrastructural growth while creating significant returns for both tribe and investor. Bottom line, this Social Capitalist endeavor may forever change the lives and outlook of countless indigenous Americans by creating a sustainable economic base for generations to come," says John Cataldi, Managing Partner of NAVF.