A two-day summit this week at Northern Arizona University is focusing on sustainable economic development on Navajo and Hopi tribal lands.<\/p>\n
The gathering is the result of an extensive\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0conducted by NAU\u2019s Landsward Institute and intended to facilitate economic growth in the Four Corners area of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah\u2014part of the traditional homelands of several American Indian tribal nations.<\/p>\n Regional tribal leaders, government and academic officials and corporate and private investors attending the Four Corners Sustainable Economic Development Summit will explore opportunities to implement strategies outlined in the study.<\/p>\n \u201cRegional universities like NAU have a special responsibility in the economic development of the areas in which they are located,\u201d said NAU President\u00a0John Haeger<\/strong>. \u201cNAU is both a good educational institution as well as an economic development engine.\u201d<\/p>\n The summit is considered the first step in a multiyear process centered on four areas for potential sustainable economic development in the region: renewable energy, manufacturing, agriculture, and cultural and ecotourism.<\/p>\n Among the panelists and participants at the Nov. 3-4 summit are Charles Galbraith, White House intergovernmental affairs officer; Dallas Tonsager, USDA undersecretary; LeRoy Shingoitewa, chairman of the Hopi Tribe; Ben Shelly, president of the Navajo Nation; and Fred DuVal, chair of the Arizona Board of Regents.<\/p>\n