Los Alamos Reporter

LANL: Eight Tribal Companies Receive Funds To Support Their Growth

Okuu Pin Studio (Santa Clara) is one of the recipients of this year’s Tribal Economic Diversity Fund grants. Photo Courtesy LANL

LANL NEWS RELEASE

Eight tribally-owned businesses – including an outdoor apparel designer, a pottery studio and a gourmet caterer – are receiving a boost thanks to this year’s grants from the  Regional Development Corporation’s Tribal Economic Diversity Fund. The program is supported by LANL operator Triad National Security LLC. 

The businesses – whose owners are members of Cochiti, Jemez, Ohkay Owingeh, Pojoaque, Santa Clara and Taos Pueblos – received grant funding up to $8,000. Triad supports the economic diversity activities of the RDC with an investment under its Community Commitment Plan. 

The Tribal Economic Diversity Fund helps businesses owned by a federally recognized Indian tribe or by enrolled members of a federally recognized Indian tribe grow their business through grants for critical technical services and equipment. 

Since 2016, RDC has invested $718,466 in tribal enterprises and tribal-member-owned businesses.

The 2024 Tribal Economic Diversity Fund awardees are:

  • Jemez Enterprises (Jemez): the operator of the Red Rocks Convenience Store, Walatowa Visitor Center, Hummingbird Cafe and the Red Rocks Hiking Trail
  • Okuu Pin Studio (Santa Clara): an art studio specializing in Santa Clara Pueblo pottery and clay tiles using traditional materials and processes and serigraphy (silkscreen process) printing
  • Plum Blossom Consulting (Cochiti): a consultancy that provides support to clients navigating affidavits, power of attorneys, wills, contracts, and applications for benefits
  • Roadrunner RV Park (Pojoaque):an RV Park serving Los Alamos National Laboratory employees, vacationers and tourists
  • Sage Mountainflower (Ohkay Owingeh): an Indigenous fashion brand to be worn outside traditional boundaries
  • Santa Clara Pueblo Pottery (Santa Clara): an award-winning traditional Santa Clara Pueblo pottery working in black and red ware
  • Snowflower Native Gourmet (Taos): a catering firm that infuses gourmet food with traditional Taos Pueblo ingredients for private dinners, prestigious local events, pop-up take-out, and special orders
  • The Uncivilized Outdoorsman (Santa Clara): an outdoors brand, outdoor service provider and Indigenous educator with a line of Indigenous outdoor apparel