Putting Tribal Sovereignty in Food Sovereignty
In the latest episode of “Rooted Wisdom,” Executive Director of Akiptan, Skya Ducheneaux, joins the podcast to discuss how Community Development Financial Institutions, or CDFIs, are reshaping access to capital in Indian Country. Ducheneaux, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation, shares her personal journey from ranching to finance and explains how Akiptan is helping native agricultural producers thrive.
CDFIs differ from traditional banks in several key ways. They are nonprofit lenders that focus on community empowerment rather than profit. Akiptan provides loans and technical assistance to native producers, helping them build financial literacy, write business plans, and understand balance sheets.
“CDFIs are trying to figure out how to get to ‘yes.’ Banks are trying to figure out how to get to ‘no,’” Ducheneaux said.
Ducheneaux also discussed the systemic barriers Tribal citizens face when trying to access capital. These include limited financial education, lack of collateral due to leased or trust land, and cultural differences in asset ownership. She used a Monopoly metaphor to illustrate how native communities are often entering the financial system late and with fewer resources.
“Agriculture was the first economy,” Ducheneaux said. “We’ve always needed to eat, and we’ve always traded.”
According to the Native American Agriculture Fund, if native agriculture received the same level of investment as gaming, it could surpass gaming as an economic driver. Akiptan is working to make that vision a reality.
The organization also measures success differently. While it tracks traditional metrics such as jobs created and dollars deployed, it also considers qualitative wins, such as equity growth and goal achievement. Ducheneaux emphasized that success in Indian Country might look like buying one house, not building hotels—and that’s still a win.
One of Akiptan’s newest initiatives is the Yuwinyeya Grant, which supports succession planning. In its pilot year, the program helped producers secure life insurance policies, estate plans, long-term investment accounts, and tax plans. The goal is to ensure that producers can retire with dignity and pass assets—not debt—to the next generation.
You can hear the whole episode on your podcast platform of choice or below.