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Through our interaction with tribal communities, we have learned that tribes are largely dependent on non-reservation products and services. In fact, we estimate that there is over $1 billion in commerce each year being spent by tribes off reservation. Our goal is to help tribes recapture some of that commerce and redirect it to intertribal commerce.

To address this disparity, we developed TribeXchange as an internet-based service that allows member tribes to discover online what products and services other tribes have available for sale or trade, allowing tribes to “buy native first” before looking to the open market.

Because of our background in helping tribes and rural communities gain access to telecommunications services, there is an emphasis on providing these services through the TribeXchange network. However, we want to stress that not every TribeXchange member needs to become a telecommunications partner. Tribes may participate in this network by purchasing telecommunications services through other member tribes who provide these services, or not purchasing telecom services at all. The TribeXchange network is designed to handle any sort of product or service.

Part of the reason Native Network remains focused of telecommunication services is that we understand the importance of providing a high-speed, fiber infrastructure to provide services and facilitate commerce. A modern telecommunications infrastructure is the foundation to provide tribes with the tools they need to buy and sell other goods and services, both with other tribes and off-reservation. Access to high speed fiber can literally “open up the world” to tribes. Native Network can help a tribe identify their telecommunication needs, implement solutions, and then through TribeXchange provide a means to resell these services to other tribes or non-tribal customers, or purchase additional services as needed.

In addition, once a tribe has access to high speed data services, it provides a backbone for developing new on-reservation industry opportunities such as data centers and call centers.

Native Network is passionate about helping tribes provide meaningful work and educational opportunities for their members. Our way to give back to native communities is by providing the services and know-how for tribes to become self-sufficient for telecommunications services or to be able to purchase and sell these and other services from other tribes.