Strengthening Sovereignty: Recapping the Native American Banking Symposium
Launching Groundbreaking Research on Native-Owned Banks
On May 22, 2025, the National Bankers Association proudly hosted the inaugural Native American Banking Symposium in Oklahoma City — a convening that brought together Native banking leaders, policymakers, philanthropic partners, and mission-driven financial institutions for a day of dialogue, data, and collective visioning.
The event marked an important step in deepening national awareness and strategic investment in Native American-owned banks and CDFIs, whose work is essential to building economic sovereignty and financial equity across Indian Country.
A Day of Insight and Inspiration
The day began with welcome remarks from Christopher White, Deputy Executive Director of the National Bankers Association Foundation, who emphasized the critical role Native banks play in community wealth-building and the broader mission of inclusive finance. From there, a dynamic lineup of panels and conversations unfolded, covering everything from youth financial literacy to digital modernization and climate finance.
Opening Panel: Building Wealth & Economic Sovereignty
Moderated by Christopher White, the opening panel featured leaders including Jill Maple (All Nations Bank), Chris Tweedy (Chickasaw Nation Capital Access Division), Doug Gray (Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City), and Dr. Christy Finsel (Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition). They explored how Native-owned financial institutions are reclaiming economic self-determination through community lending, small business support, and culturally grounded financial products.
Research Spotlight: Key Trends in Native Banking
This session featured Staci Glenn Short of Huntington Bank, the event’s generous sponsor, Dave Burrell of Pinnacle Bank and Elise Pietro of the National Bankers Association Foundation. Elise presented the findings of the NBA’s new research report on Native American-owned banks — a first-of-its-kind study that sheds light on the current landscape, barriers, and emerging opportunities in Native finance. Then, the three delved into a conversation covering:
The importance of youth financial education and minor's trust investing
Barriers to scale for Native banks, including regulatory complexity and capital access
How new partnerships and public policy can accelerate growth in tribal communities
Fireside Chats and Strategy Sessions
Throughout the day, participants heard from leaders like Jeff Bowman (Bay Bank), Joel Smith (Native American Bank), and Pete Upton (Native CDFI Network), who discussed how Native banks are collaborating to maximize their impact and how tools like the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) are being leveraged in tribal contexts.
A final interactive session, “Vision 2030: The Future of Tribal Banking,” challenged participants to think boldly about what's next — from fintech partnerships to green finance and beyond.
Spotlight on Leadership
During lunch, attendees were inspired by spotlight stories from Native-led institutions and heard powerful remarks from Oklahoma State Representative Ajay Pittman and her mother former Oklahoma State Senator Anastasia Pittman, who emphasized the need for policy that recognizes the historical and ongoing economic exclusion faced by tribal communities.
Launching the New Report: Native American-Owned Banks
As a capstone to the event, we released our newest publication: Native American-Owned Banks: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
This report is the product of months of research by the National Bankers Association Foundation and is designed to inform strategic partners, regulators, and funders about the role Native banks play — and the support they need to thrive.
Key findings include:
There are fewer than 20 Native American-owned banks or credit unions across the U.S., many of which serve deeply rural or persistently underbanked communities.
Despite strong community trust, many face outsized challenges accessing capital, complying with regulations, and modernizing technology systems.
Opportunities exist to align private, philanthropic, and public investments to expand these institutions' reach and sustainability.
Why it matters: Native banks aren’t just financial institutions — they are anchors of economic resilience, culture, and self-determination. Supporting them means supporting stronger, more sovereign Native communities.
As we reflect on the conversations from the symposium and the data in our report, one thing is clear: there is momentum. Now is the time to build on it.
To all who attended, supported, and contributed — thank you. And to those who want to learn more, we invite you to read and share the report.
Let’s continue to invest in Indigenous-led financial solutions and ensure Native voices remain central in conversations about economic inclusion.
Watch the recap video here.
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