About Us

Native Americans, including the residents of Standing Rock, have long embraced an inherent entrepreneurial spirit, trading & bartering for goods & services. The Oyate Community Development Corporation, a non-profit 501(C)3 Community Development Financial Institution, is an influential catalyst that was fashioned to renew & continue that inherent entrepreneurial spirit in an effort to establish a sustainable reservation community and better quality of life for the residents!

Mission

The Oyate Community Development Corporation will improve the economy and the quality of life on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Oyate will make financial services available to undeserved Native Americans on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

Purpose

• Grow Entrepreneurs
• Provide Productive Employment Opportunities
• Build Sustainable reservation Based Economy

History

The Oyate Community Development Corporation (OCDC) is a non-profit 501(c)3 Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) located on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Formally organized in 2009, the Oyate CDC’s mission is to improve the economy and the quality of life on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The Standing Rock Sioux Reservation has had a long history of poverty and high unemployment which has made it difficult for residents to achieve a high quality of life. Oyate CDC is an influential catalyst in the development of a sustainable reservation community and economy that will impact residents and the youth in their lifespan. The OCDC, officially CDFI certified by the US Treasury Department and 501(c)3 designated in 2014, is a financial institution that offers financial education training and direct lending to support community and business development to residents of the Standing Rock Reservation. With our facilities located in the Entrepreneurial Center, the Oyate Community Development Corporation is at a beneficial position being housed by a facility dedicated to improving economic opportunities for individuals living in the reservation community. The Entrepreneurial Center, located on the Sitting Bull College Campus in Fort Yates, North Dakota, is a business incubators and technical assistance center designed to accelerate the successful development of small businesses on the reservation. As a collaborative effort between the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Sitting Bull College, the Entrepreneurial was established to provide entrepreneurs with affordable business incubator space and convenient access to business support resources and services.