Growing Native-controlled resources such as land, homes, businesses, and knowledge is important for cultivating Native vitality over multiple generations. With an eye on the future, NAYA works closely with local government, housing development organizations, communitybased organizations, and funders in Portland to secure opportunities for building infrastructure that prioritizes Native people, businesses, and culture.
sustainable, to have them be able to pay rent and go anywhere they want in Portland and establish themselves.” By establishing Native small business owners and placing them in Cully, NAYA is fostering a literal place for Native entrepreneurs to flourish and reviving the neighborhood.
The idea of community wealth is strongly embedded in NAYA’s Community Development department. Through NAYA’s affordable housing work, NAYA is building community prosperity in the Cully neighborhood and beyond. As one staff member highlighted, “NAYA is not just saying they uplift community Indigenous voices, but also giving them a physical home to be back in Portland.” One of the department’s newest programs is Our 42nd Ave, a former nonprofit that merged with NAYA last year and focuses on community economic development around 42nd Avenue in Portland. Through its partnership with Our 42nd Ave, NAYA is able to offer affordable commercial spaces to its clients and make employment connections with small local businesses. Cully Boulevard Alliance (CBA) is another program at NAYA that fosters economic development in the Cully neighborhood. Through tax increment financing, NAYA has supported the rise of low-income, Native, and BIPOC entrepreneurs in Cully—the number of small businesses has grown from 13 to 50—and placed increasing power in the hands of resident and local business leaders. When the pandemic struck, NAYA turned one of its properties, (Com)motion, into a Native Made Pop-Up site. Charging Native vendors zero fees, NAYA set up a schedule and place for these entrepreneurs to safely sell their creations and continue to earn income, with the goal of “get[ting] them
Perhaps one of the most important outcomes of NAYA’s IDA program is the sense of selfdetermination that many participants leave with. Participants described what it felt like to “reaffirm” their identity, life path, decisions, and connections with others. One said, “I learned I could accomplish anything.” Throughout the course of the program, people set their own asset goals, define their timeline and benchmarks for success, and make changes to their plans. Upon succeeding with one asset goal, many participants return with more plans for their future or refer family members to the IDA program.
Self-Determination, Sovereignty, and Reaffirmation
“When I first purchased my house, the first thing that popped into my head was that nobody’s going to kick me out, nobody’s going to tell me I have too many people over. That meant everything. It’s a lot of responsibility, but this and my process with all the teachers at NAYA really empowered me to do the things I need to do. I’m a better person for it and I’m appreciative of it.” -
IDA Participant
Balance and Belonging: Empowerment Economics and Community Development at NAYA
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