The tribal business for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in North Central Washington–the Colville Tribal Federal Corp., or CTFC–recently won the 2013 William D. Bradford Minority Business of the Year Award. It’s the granddaddy of seven awards given annually by the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business that recognizes a company “that has demonstrated success in areas of revenue, size, superior management practices and commitment to the community.”

According to tribal member Joe Pakootas, the tribe’s 25th CEO in 29 years, CTFC generated $86 million in revenue in 2013, up from $49 million in 2010, by cutting costs, eliminating wasteful spending and most significantly, restructuring the business (formerly Colville Tribal Enterprise Corp.) as a federally chartered corporation under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934...