Latest from NAFOA

The NAFOA team gathered last week at We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort (Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation) in Arizona for our Winter Staff Retreat and spent the time collaborating, brainstorming, and discussing priorities for the New Year ahead!

Join us this Spring for the NAFOA 2026 Conference, happening April 27–28 in Reno, Nevada. Two days of connection, learning, and forward-looking conversations you won’t want to miss—mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details!

2025 finished strong! NAFOA's team celebrated a major milestone for Tribal economic sovereignty at last month's TTAC public meeting with the announcement of final rules on GWE and Tribally Chartered Corporate Entities. (Pictured with the team: Fatima Abbas, Director of the Office of Tribal and Native Affairs (center), and Chairman Rodney Butler, TTAC member and NAFOA Board President (right)).

Leaders from across Indian Country came together last week in Washington, DC, at the Native CDFI Network (NCN) 6th Annual Policy & Capacity Building Summit to champion collective advocacy and economic sovereignty. Pictured (from left to right): Cory Blankenship (NAFOA), Chris James (NCAIED), Pete Upton (NCN), Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD), Rudy Soto (NAIHC), and President Anthony Reider (Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe).

Maximillian Frye (photo: right side), a citizen of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and recent participant in the 2025 NAFOA Leadership Summit, encourages future participants to embrace the experience fully. In the latest #GivingSeason article, he emphasizes the importance of informal networking and camaraderie—especially during receptions, as seen here featuring fellow conference attendees.