Blue Stone Strategy Partners

Native Nation Events 2026 and NCAI Mid Year 2026 begin today, bringing together Tribal Leaders, economic development professionals, healthcare executives, and industry experts from across Indian Country to discuss the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of Tribal Nations.

Tribal Nations continue to face new opportunities for growth, investment, healthcare expansion, and economic diversification. The challenge is determining which opportunities align with long-term priorities and how to turn them into sustainable outcomes that strengthen Tribal governments, businesses, and communities.

Throughout both events, Blue Stone Strategy Partners will be sharing practical lessons and real-world examples drawn from Tribal projects across Indian Country, covering topics ranging from economic diversification and capital deployment to healthcare sustainability and infrastructure planning.

Join us for the following sessions:

NCAI Mid Year 2026

• From Revenue to Resilience: Strategic Economic Diversification in Indian Country June 16 | 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Room 115 | John Mooers & Alexandria Wright, PhD

Native Nation Events 2026

• Finding Stability in Uncertain Times: Unlocking Capital to Support Tribal Economic Growth | June 16 | 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM Jake Robinson

• Roundtable: Strategies for Strong, Future-Ready Tribal Economies June 16 | 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM| Jake Robinson

• Healthcare Professionals Roundtable June 16 | 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM| Eric Metcalf

• Planning for the Future: Tribal Health Infrastructure and Facilities June 17 | 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Jacquelyn Robinson

If your Nation is evaluating a new project, exploring economic development opportunities, or working through a strategic challenge, we would welcome the opportunity to connect.

Join Blue Stone Strategy Partners at Sovereignty Symposium 2026 in Oklahoma City.

As Tribal Nations continue to strengthen sovereignty and expand economic opportunities, conversations around commerce, governance, taxation, capital access, workforce development, and long-term planning have never been more important.

Our own Terri Parton (Wichita & Affiliated Tribes), Tribal Advisor and Project Manager at Blue Stone Strategy Partners, will moderate:
Expanding the Marketplace: Tribal Commerce and the Future of Economic Self-Determination

June 15, 2026
3:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Dogwood/Loblolly/Redbud Rooms
OKANA Resort, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Terri will lead a distinguished panel of Tribal attorneys, legal scholars, and commerce leaders in a discussion focused on:

• Governance and Tribal sovereignty
• Strengthening existing Tribal enterprises
• Taxation as a tool of self-determination
• Access to capital on Tribal terms
• Emerging industries and future opportunities
• Workforce capacity and Nation-building

If you'll be attending Sovereignty Symposium, we invite you to join the conversation and connect with Terri Parton.

Join Blue Stone Strategy Partners at Native Nation Events 2026, June 16–17 at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.

Our team will be leading and participating in discussions on Tribal economic development, capital access, healthcare sustainability, and healthcare infrastructure planning.

June 16

Finding Stability in Uncertain Times: Unlocking Capital to Support Tribal Economic Growth | 2:30 PM–3:30 PM | Jake Robinson

Roundtable: Strategies for Strong, Future-Ready Tribal Economies | 3:30 PM–4:30 PM | Jake Robinson

June 17

Building Financially Sustainable Tribal Health Systems | 8:45 AM–9:30 AM | Eric Metcalf

Planning for the Future: Tribal Health Infrastructure and Facilities | 10:00 AM–10:45 AM | Jacquelyn Robinson

If you're attending, please connect with our team. We'd welcome the opportunity to discuss your Nation's economic development, healthcare, governance, and long-term growth priorities.

Schedule some time with our team at the link below.
https://hubs.li/Q04l3gBL0

Most organizations do not think about Form I-9 compliance until an audit forces the issue.

That is becoming a riskier approach.

Federal employment verification is moving toward digital, standardized, audit-ready processes. For Tribal employers, two changes deserve attention: the permanent remote verification option tied to E-Verify and the mandatory use of the updated Form I-9.

The challenge is rarely understanding the rule. It is applying the same process consistently across governments, enterprises, healthcare systems, gaming operations, and administrative departments.

Compliance may be the baseline requirement. Clarity is the actual outcome.

Find out more here: https://bit.ly/4ohr2Tg

Many Tribal Nations already know what they want to accomplish. The challenge is having the plans, priorities, governance structures, and implementation capacity in place when funding becomes available.

Our latest 90-Day Funding Outlook highlights upcoming federal and state opportunities across healthcare, housing, economic development, infrastructure, workforce development, and more.

Download the June 90-Day Funding Outlook and see where opportunities are emerging.

https://bit.ly/43o93kx

Federal funding priorities continue to shift. Operating costs remain high. Workforce challenges persist across Indian Country.

As Tribal Leaders navigate these challenges, many are asking the same questions:

• How can we reduce reliance on outside funding?
• What new revenue opportunities exist for our Nation?
• How can we strengthen existing enterprises and improve performance?
• What investments today will create sustainable benefits for future generations?

These are the conversations Jake Robinson works through with Tribal leadership teams every day.

Blue Stone Strategy Partners is looking forward to attending the Third Annual Tribal Leadership Conference in Chandler, Arizona, where Tribal Leaders from across Indian Country will come together to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and priorities shaping the future of their Nations.

If you'll be attending, connect with Jake Robinson, Vice President of Economic Development, to discuss economic diversification, enterprise development, strategic planning, feasibility analysis, and implementation strategies designed to support long-term Tribal prosperity.

Schedule time with Jake: https://bit.ly/4ojNATD

Nearly 100 Tribal economic development leaders gathered at the NCAIED Reservation Economic Summit this March. The session was billed as a three-hour conversation about what comes next: new ventures, new asset classes, new frontiers.

What emerged from the room was something more disciplined.

A narrower federal pipeline. Maturing revenue engines. Capital that has grown more expensive and more selective. The leaders in the room ranked strategic planning, governance reform, and strengthening existing enterprises ahead of launching anything new. They rated their own operations at 2.4 out of 5. The community-leadership alignment gap was the quietest finding in the survey, and the most consequential.

Indian Country is entering what we're calling the foundation era of Tribal economic development. The takeaway is not retreat. It is reform.

Read the full piece, including the three imperatives shaping Tribal economic strategy for the year ahead: https://bit.ly/43uM1s8

Join Dr. Alexandria M. Wright, PhD, Director of Economic & Workforce Impact at Blue Stone Strategy Partners, at the 2026 NAWDP Annual Conference for a featured session focused on workforce development in Indian Country.

Alongside Nevadaworks Tribal Liaison Mr. Roberts, Dr. Wright will present:

Honoring Sovereignty, Expanding Opportunity: Connecting Workforce Systems to Indian Country, A Nevadaworks Case Study

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Phoenix Convention Center | Phoenix, Arizona

This session will explore how workforce systems can better align with Tribal priorities through culturally grounded planning, workforce partnerships, apprenticeship pathways, WIOA funding strategies, and long-term economic development approaches supporting Tribal Nations.

The discussion will also highlight lessons learned through the Good Jobs Northern Nevada Initiative and the Indian Workforce Development Advisory Council, including strategies connected to youth pathways, energy workforce development, environmental remediation, and scalable workforce systems in Indian Country.

With more than 20 years of experience supporting Tribal workforce and economic development initiatives, Dr. Wright brings extensive experience in labor market analysis, apprenticeship design, regional workforce strategy, and Tribal systems development.

If you will be attending NAWDP, Dr. Wright would welcome the opportunity to connect during the conference to discuss your community’s workforce and economic development priorities. Even if you will not be attending, she would still value the opportunity to learn more about your community’s needs and discuss strategies supporting long-term workforce growth and opportunity.

Schedule time to connect:
https://bit.ly/4nBiWV5

Tribal organizations across the country continue to navigate workforce pressures, leadership transitions, and growing operational demands. Events like the 2026 NNAHRA Women’s Summit create space for practical conversations around leadership, organizational alignment, and the evolving challenges Tribal communities are working through today.

Blue Stone Strategy Partners is onsite this week and looking forward to connecting with Tribal HR leaders, executives, and leadership teams throughout the summit.

We’re also excited for tomorrow’s session:

“Seasons of Leadership: Growing Tribal Women from Influence to Impact”

This session will explore how Indigenous women leaders across Tribal governance, gaming, and enterprise can recognize the season of leadership they are in, strengthen the competencies needed for the next level, and intentionally build relationships that expand opportunity across Tribal enterprises.

Grounded in cultural resilience and modern executive strategy, the discussion focuses on preparing women leaders not only to advance professionally, but to help lead long-term Tribal economic growth and organizational transformation.

If you’ll be onsite, we’d welcome the opportunity to connect and learn more about your community’s priorities.

Schedule time with our team:
https://bit.ly/48UDDWb

Blue Stone Strategy Partners is proud to be part of the 2026 Women’s Summit hosted by the National Native American Human Resources Association (NNAHRA), taking place May 12–13 at Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass in Arizona.

We invite attendees to join Alicia Finley and Chief Melanie Benjamin for the session, “Seasons of Leadership: Growing Tribal Women from Influence to Impact” This session is an opportunity to hear practical insight, share experiences, and engage in meaningful discussion around the realities Tribal leaders and HR professionals are navigating today.

Blue Stone Strategy Partners will also be on-site throughout the event and available to meet with Tribal leaders, HR professionals, and organizational teams before or after the session to discuss your community’s needs, priorities, and long-term goals.

If you would like to schedule dedicated time with Alicia and Melanie during the Women’s Summit, you can do so here:
https://bit.ly/3R0mQe8

Learn more about the 2026 Women’s Summit here:
https://bit.ly/4nljA9f