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 NAEG Hosts Tribal Council To Informational Dinner |
WOTANIN WOWAPI - The Newspaper of the Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes
Vol. 37 - #24
The Native American Energy Group (NAEG), who has offices in Wolf Point, has been on the Fort Peck Reservation for a year. NAEG is interested in renewable resources in Indian country. Last Friday, June 9, 2006, the group held an informational dinner for the Tribal Council and guests at the Sherman Motor Inn in Wolf Point. NAEG is a company that specializes in identifying and renewing “shut-in production and/or abandoned oil fields on and off tribal lands”. The company started six years ago in the gaming business and were successful, in part, because they had the all important financial support they needed. The company President and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) is Joseph D’Arrigo, the Chief Financial Officer is Raj S. Nanvaan, and Levi Olson is with Public Relations.
In the past, other companies have come to the reservation on a short term basis and then left. Their primary concern was making a profit and then moving on. This was mainly due to the resources these companies were exploiting, for example the seismography industry made maps of the underground to find likely spots to drill for oil. Once the maps were made then the companies took off.
In contrast, NAEG admits that making a profit is good business but NAEG see sharing the profit with the tribes and staying in a long term business relationship with the tribes as even better. The nature of Fort Peck’s resources – oil, gas and manpower – are best served by a long term relationship. An example of this kind of perspective in action is the fact that NAEG has already put together a syllabus for Ft. Peck Community College to begin training local people in the work NAEG proposes to do here at Fort Peck.
The Ft. Peck Tribes status as a sovereign nation is unique in the United States as it is for other federally recognized tribes. This “sovereign status” gives tribes certain privileges in making business agreements. These privileges come out as “regulations” to guide how the business is conducted. NAEG has stated that they will work with the Ft. Peck Tribes and has made the announcement, at the state level, that their goal is “to secure a stable energy future for the tribes for the betterment of Montana Native American Communities”. NAEG financial manager Raj Nanvaan pointed to Chairman Morales and councilmen Azure, Anketell, Red Eagle, and Youpee and said “You have an outstanding business council.” Mr. Nanvaan said he was impressed that the group is attracted to companies like NAEG. The company has made it known that they have come to Montana to do some good – to give jobs, train the people, and do the right thing for the people.
NAEG is capable of reactivating old oil wells. Northeast Montana is one of the most active oil industry areas in the country. One of their most important strategies is to develop what resources Ft. Peck has and use some of the capital to build other projects. The company brought up the idea that it takes about $1.2 million to bring a house factory to the reservation and they have the resources to do that.