There’s no doubt that despite challenges like chronic economic disparity and a shortage of capital (both start-up and expansion), the number of Native American–owned businesses is growing across the board.

When Cristin Haase was first thinking about a career in dental health, the inequality in care available to American Indians was on her mind — she wanted to be one of the few Indigenous professionals working on closing that gap.

Elsie DuBray turns 18 on the Fourth of July. She’s headed for Stanford University after graduating last spring from Timber Lake High School in Timber Lake, S.D., where she sang in the choir, played flute in the band, participated in the One-Act Play and Oral Interpretation programs, served as student council president, played volleyball, and volunteered with the Cheyenne River Youth Project. 

Adonis Martinez spent his childhood at the foot of the Black Hills in Rapid City, S.D. He was raised by his grandparents and great-grandparents in a family that has emphasized education for generations. His great-grandmother and grandmother both attended college, encouraged by their families. Growing up, Martinez was told, “You either go to school or you work. There is no in-between.”