NAB loans helps to bring security and preserve culture for Samish Tribe
January 23, 2004


Denver, CO -- The largest loan made by the Native American Bank to date has made it possible for the Samish Tribe of Washington state to regain ancestral lands while taking an equally large step towards economic independence.

The history of the Samish Tribe includes a 26-year struggle in administrative and federal court to regain federal recognition, which was initially established when the Samish Nation was listed as a signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855. The tribe was removed from the list due to a clerical error in 1969, rendering them-for federal purposes-extinct. The Samish Tribe regained its federal tribal status by a federal court decision on April 26, 1996.

Known for their skillful carvings, canoes and longhouses, the Samish have fought to regain more than federal recognition. Tribal Chairman Kenneth Hansen continues to lead his people in battles to regain fishing rights and ancestral land-traditional territory that ranges across seven counties in northwest Washington. Prior to 2001, the tribe was without a land base-that year 77 acres were purchased.

Thanks to a 3.4 million dollar loan from the Native American Bank, which is supported by a guaranty under the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Loan Guaranty Program, the eight million dollar Fidalgo Bay Resort project promises to make Hansen's goal to bring economic security to the Samish people a reality. But according to Hansen, there is more work to be done.

"Our belief is that it is great to talk about economic development and self-sufficiency, but we can't have that until each individual and family is self sufficient," Hansen said. This philosophy is born of Hansen's 30-plus years of experience in tribal economic development.

Pam Nesius, Vice President and Team Leader of the Native American Bank (NAB), became aware of the Fidalgo Bay Resort project last June when she represented NAB at a Bureau of Indian Affairs conference held in Coeur D'Alene. There she was approached by Mike Moran, who serves as a lobbyist for the Samish Tribe. He outlined the project to Nesius, expressing that it had been difficult for the tribe to identify funding for a ten million dollar purchase, including 22 acres of upland and 40 acres of tideland that includes the Weaverling Flat and Spit and a developed recreational vehicle park.

Native American Bank subsequently assisted the tribal council with financial planning. Because of certain historical cultural features, the USDA stepped forward to finance that portion of the project with a Community Development Loan, Nesius said. She was particularly impressed with the support the Samish received from the community.

"The sellers of the property gifted approximately a million and a half towards the project, while the City of Anacortes worked with the Tribe on lowering the property taxes," Nesius said.

According to Nesius, the Fidalgo Bay Resort is the first large economic development project undertaken by the tribe, "but certainly not the last."

The Fidalgo Bay Resort is located in Anacortes, Washington, known as the Gateway to the San Juan Islands, and includes an R.V. Park and Clubhouse that will be available as a conference center, a picturesque site for weddings and other uses.

Nesius believes that in helping to finance this important project, NAB has once again proven its vested interest in economic development in Indian Country.

"If this project isn't a representation of our mission statement, nothing is," she said. "This project was very complex, involving countless hours of work with the BIA, USDA, local community, sellers and the Tribe all pulling together to bring this to a successful conclusion."

"I'm very impressed with the members of the Samish Tribal Council," Nesius said. "They are very business minded and astute; it's been a pleasure doing business with them."

"This deal allows us to purchase property with high revenue producing potential in the tourism industry," Hansen said. "Tourism is a renewable resource, one that needs to be managed and shaped," said Hansen

Further, Hansen said, the commercial endeavors will support the cultural and historical preservation projects planned for other land areas of the purchase.

"These portions of land are not foreign places to us," Hansen concluded. "This deal gives us the opportunity to protect important cultural and historical landmarks while creating new economic generators for the Tribe."