Working to improve tribal economies,

one partnership at a time

Spirit of the Sun is a non-profit organization focused on helping Native American communities to advance cultural preservation and development by improving economic conditions on reservations. 


Over the past 10 years, we have worked to establish partnerships with tribal and community leaders to create development programs based on their own terms and in alignment with Native lifeways.

Spirit of the Sun acts as a facilitator, providing the framework and plans to enable Tribes to accomplish the goals defined by their communities and leaders. 

Our current projects focus not only on working with specific reservations and tailoring plans to meet their specific needs, but also on implementing initiatives across Indian Country more broadly, tapping into past experiences working with a number of reservations and Indian‐owned ventures.
 
To find out more about Spirit of the Sun staff, please visit the Who Are We page. 

Our History
The idea for Spirit of the Sun began in 1996 at the University of Vermont as the Foundation for Intercultural Understanding and World Justice.  

Six years later, in January of 2002, Spirit of the Sun was officially incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and the organization launched full-time operations in January of 2009. 

Mission and Focus
Our Mission:

Spirit of the Sun will promote peace, understanding, and economic and social justice among people around the world. 

Our Focus:

  • Designing, developing and managing complex programs and analysis
  • Providing deep insight and innovative analysis across disciplines and viewpoints
  • Effectively using and implementing advanced technology 
  • Building coalitions and partnerships throughout Indian Country
  • Helping other organizations become more effective
Spirit of the Sun is a member of the Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce.

All text, documents, and images are Copyright 2011 of Spirit of the Sun. All rights reserved.