For many Americans, getting a loan starts with a trip to the bank down the street. In many Native communities, there’s no bank down the street. Even where there is one, borrowing can mean facing rules most Americans never have to think about. Now public television’s “All Access with Andy Garcia” is telling the story of the Native-led lenders who are changing those odds.
The show was set to film with Oweesta Corporation on Nov. 10 for an upcoming educational segment. Based in Longmont, Colorado, Oweesta has spent more than 25 years moving investment money to Native lenders across the country. Through interviews and a behind-the-scenes look, the segment will follow where those dollars go. They help pay for small businesses, affordable homes, health clinics, clean energy, and other community projects.
Behind the story is a bigger question about who controls money in Native communities. A 2001 Treasury Department study found that 86% of Native communities had no financial institution within their borders. Missing banks are only part of the problem, though. Some of the biggest barriers were built by federal policy.
Much of the land on reservations is held in trust by the federal government. Owners can’t sell it without federal approval, so lenders usually can’t use the land itself to back a loan. Home loans on trust land also need paperwork and approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Approvals meant to take 30 days have sometimes dragged on for more than a year, according to Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota.
The red tape has scared off many lenders. A law signed in May now sets deadlines for the bureau.
Old land policies add another hurdle. The General Allotment Act of 1887 broke up reservations into individual plots for tribal members. As owners died, each plot passed to more and more heirs. Today, a single plot can have hundreds or even thousands of owners, and using the land can require a majority of them to sign off.
When a loan does come through, it often costs more. A 2019 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis looked at lending on and near reservations. Native buyers on reservations paid mortgage rates nearly 2 percentage points higher, on average, than non-Native buyers off reservations. On a $140,000 home, the gap could add up to $107,000 over 30 years. Oweesta says predatory lenders have long targeted Native families, too.
Native-led lenders offer another path, with Native people deciding how loans get made close to home.
They’re known as Native community development financial institutions, or Native CDFIs. The U.S. Treasury certifies them to mainly serve American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities. Their numbers grew from 14 in 2001 to 66 in 2024, according to the CDFI Coalition.
Oweesta’s job is to help them grow. It’s the longest-standing go-between for Native CDFIs. Oweesta brings in money from banks, foundations, big investors, and other partners. It then puts those funds to work in Native CDFIs through loans and investments. The CDFIs then lend to their own neighbors. Oweesta also offers training and research and pushes for better policies.
Oweesta’s partners include impact investors. They want their money to earn a return and do some good. Without a group like Oweesta in the middle, plenty of ideas on tribal lands and beyond might never get funded.
“Impact investing is much more than providing capital,” said Chrystel Cornelius, Oweesta’s president and CEO. In her view, the real measure is what the money makes possible once it lands in a community.
Teaching money skills is a big part of the work, too. Oweesta’s Building Native Communities course, known nationwide, covers everyday basics like using credit, saving, and getting ready to borrow. Oweesta trains Native CDFIs, tribal programs and community groups to teach the course in ways that reflect Native cultures.
People who understand money are better positioned to borrow wisely, buy homes, and start businesses. Stronger borrowers make for stronger lenders. In turn, investors’ dollars are more likely to make a lasting difference.
Stories like Oweesta’s are a natural fit for “All Access.” Andy Garcia, the Oscar-nominated star of films like “The Untouchables” and “Ocean’s Eleven,” hosts the series. Viewers can catch it on public television stations nationwide and learn more at allaccessptv.com. Its short educational films explore business, medicine, technology and culture. Each one focuses on stories of discovery, progress and human resilience.
Indigenous communities have had plenty of practice at that last one. After generations of closed doors, they’ve built lenders of their own.
“For decades, Native CDFIs have demonstrated that when Native people have access to financial resources and the ability to make decisions for their own communities, remarkable things happen,” Cornelius said.
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