Powered by Place
Powered by Place
PAYNE INSTITUTE COMMENTARY SERIES: COMMENTARY
January 8, 2026
In many indigenous communities, we are taught that the land remembers us. We are reminded that the stones carry memory, that minerals hold stories, and that what comes from the earth must be met with responsibility and respect. These teachings are often treated as indigenous wisdom, but they are also economic instructions—guides for how to shape systems that honor place rather than exploit it.
Today, Native Nations stand at the threshold of a rare and defining opportunity. Not because federal agencies shifted their priorities, or because philanthropy discovered Indian Country, or because another cycle of grants became available. The reason is simpler and more profound: the global energy landscape is reorganizing the economy, and the lands Indigenous peoples have collectively owned for thousands of years now sit at the center of what the world needs.
In this framing, “place” is the most strategic economic advantage—not metaphorically, but geopolitically, geologically, environmentally, and economically. Energy is the fuel for these modern economic systems for Tribes— but only if they choose to shift from extraction to partnership, from programs to economies, from development to integration, and from history to heritage. This is not a slogan. It is a blueprint.
The Opportunity Ahead: Growing Tribal Economies
The majority of Native Nations have programs—vital programs, necessary programs, stabilizing programs—but not the regenerative economic systems capable of multiplying wealth, powering entrepreneurship, or creating intergenerational prosperity.
The reality—and the potential—is this:
- Programs ≠ economies
- Federal grants ≠ markets
- Gaming ≠ diversification
- Revenue circulation is almost zero
- Most capital leaks out of the community quickly
- Entrepreneurs are not invested in or supported
This is not a moral failing. It is structural. It is the architecture Native Nations inherited from federal policy—not the architecture required for sovereign and sustainable economic futures.
This time must be different
The systems that once constrained Native economies cannot carry Tribes into the next generation. Tribal governments need new economic vehicles—tech enterprises, investment arms, reimagined Section 17 models, vibrant private sector development, entrepreneurship pipelines, and institutions designed for revenue generation, not revenue replacement. A new sovereignty must evolve from just being a shield into a strategic instrument, like a Swiss Army Knife, capable of shaping new markets and designing new economic structures.
Heritage as Competitive Advantage
Heritage is central to the economic transformation. Heritage is not the past—it is the original operating system of Indigenous economies. It has always included astronomy, engineering, water science, agricultural systems, architecture, and environmental management. It teaches that prosperity is relational, that minerals require consent, that land is a partner, and that energy is a covenant, not a commodity.
Our ancestors also built one of the world’s first open-source knowledge economies long before the term existed. In those systems, IP meant “Indigenous Protocol”—a shared responsibility to circulate wisdom, not to hoard it. Knowledge, like minerals, songs, and dance, moved freely through networks of trust. This open-system architecture created more value than closed systems ever could. They understood that prosperity grows when knowledge is shared, relationships are honored, and value moves in circles rather than walls.
Place-Based Economies
Place-based economic integration means aligning land, people, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, and investment into a coherent economic engine.
Native lands contain some of the best solar and wind resources, massive geothermal and hydropower potential, and critical minerals in America. These assets can help power the thirsty national demand—but only if Native Nations have significant ownership and equity, structure innovative governance models, and benefit in ways that build wealth rather than repeat extraction.
Elders have always said the land remembers. The question now is whether our economic systems will remember the land. The future is not arriving abstractly. It is arriving through energy, through heritage, through sovereignty, and through the places our ancestors honored and our grandchildren will inherit. The next great economic story in Native America will be Powered by Place.
The Native American Mining and Energy Sovereignty (NAMES) Initiative offers a collaborative approach to addressing the challenges of mineral and “All-of-the-Above” energy strategies in Indian Country. Working with tribal governments and communities, industry leaders, academia, and government agencies, NAMES offers our tribal partners unprecedented access to first-in-class research and thought leadership, scholarships, and symposia on broad tribal and industry subjects, including single-topic workshops and small-group facilitated stakeholder meetings.
For more information about the NAMES initiative, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Deputy Director of the Payne Institute for Public Policy, Greg Clough, at gclough@mines.edu, or NAMES team members: Ms. Alex DakotaTomi Brunson, brunson@mines.edu or Dr. Richard Luarkie, at richard.luarkie@mines.edu.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Richard Luarkie, Director, Native American Mining and Energy Sovereignty Program (NAMES), Colorado School of Mines, and Emerging Equities Solutions Group, LLC
Dr. Richard Luarkie is a visionary leader with an impressive track record spanning over two decades in economic and business development leadership roles in Indian Country. Dr. Luarkie previously served as CEO of Tamaya Ventures.
Drawing from his diverse Tribal, public, and private sector experience in business development, strategy, and economic advancement, Dr. Luarkie has honed his skills as a dynamic entrepreneur, a recognized Tribal leader, and strategic thinker. His experience as a competitor analyst and business development executive has provided him the tools to be creative and impactful with business capture strategy, business development, tech transfer and commercialization approaches, and business diversification.
Shane Seibel, Executive Director, Southern Ute Growth Fund
Shane Seibel is Executive Director of the Southern Ute Growth Fund, the Tribe’s business investment entity managing energy, real estate, and private equity assets worth over $4 billion. Under his leadership, the Growth Fund achieved record performance despite global challenges. Shane brings decades of experience in strategic development and previously founded ONE Enterprises, LLC. A strong advocate for leadership and youth mentorship, he holds a BA in Business Administration from Fort Lewis College.
An enrolled member of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Shane resides in Ignacio, Colorado, with his wife Melanie. Together, they are proud parents of six and grandparents to 15. He is a lifelong learner, farmer/rancher, coach, Sundancer, and entrepreneur—dedicated to the prosperity of his Tribe and the stewardship of its future.
Morgan Bazilian
Director, Payne Institute and Professor of Public Policy
Morgan Bazilian is the Director of the Payne Institute and a Professor of public policy at the Colorado School of Mines. Previously, he wD.as lead energy specialist at the World Bank. He has over two decades of experience in the energy sector and is regarded as a leading expert in international affairs, policy and investment. He is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
ABOUT THE PAYNE INSTITUTE
The mission of the Payne Institute at Colorado School of Mines is to provide world-class scientific insights, helping to inform and shape public policy on earth resources, energy, and environment. The Institute was established with an endowment from Jim and Arlene Payne and seeks to link the strong scientific and engineering research and expertise at Mines with issues related to public policy and national security.
The Payne Institute Commentary Series offers independent insights and research on a wide range of topics related to energy, natural resources, and environmental policy. The series accommodates three categories namely: Viewpoints, Essays, and Working Papers.
Visit us at www.payneinstitute.mines.edu
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DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, viewpoints, or official policies of the Payne Institute or the Colorado School of Mines.