Visit the Hopi School System Website
September 27, 2022
Lolma. As the transition team continues their tireless efforts to get our new school system up and running, we wonder if the transition team considered utilizing Hopi-owned businesses in their contracts. Enrolled members of the Hopi Tribe should be the first priority when considering businesses to fulfill the needs of this up and coming school system. This is not only the right thing to do from a moral prospective, but it is also something to help our people grow their small businesses.
It wasn’t until recently that systems were created to give our people opportunities to compete for services which were monopolized by pahanas over the years. Preference in awarding contracts to small, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses are a few ways that are helping to level the playing field. Let’s hope that our newly formed organizations are doing their part by soliciting locally and making a preference to Hopi owned business the standard.
Other tribes have rules in place to give their tribal members preference in granting contracts, one such example can be found right next door in the Navajo Business Opportunity Act. Another example is the Buy Indian Act which allows the Department of the Interior to set aside procurement contracts for Indian-owned and controlled businesses.
Please reach out to your council representatives to express your interest in supporting Hopi-owned businesses. Kwa’kway/Askwai.
Link to the Hopi School System:
https://www.hopischoolsystem.org/
