October 31, 2002

CONTACTS:	Carol Eckert Media Relations Manager	(415) 977-3853
	Lily Ruiz Media Relations Specialist	(415) 974-3240

FEDERAL RESERVE PROMOTES BANKING OPPORTUNITIES IN INDIAN COUNTRY.

San Francisco-October 31, 2002, The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, together with the Reserve Banks of Kansas City, Minneapolis, Chicago, and the Federal Reserve Board, will sponsor a sovereign lending conference November 18-20 in Scottsdale, Arizona, to explore ways to encourage banking opportunities in tribal communities. This Banking Opportunities in Indian Country Conference will focus on methods and resources for encouraging initiatives and partnerships that increase access to credit and capital, and strengthen local communities. The conference is designed for bankers, tribal leaders, tribal economic and housing development specialists, attorneys, and resource staff for community development.

Featured speakers include: Federal Reserve Board Governor Mark Olson; Rebecca Adamson (Eastern Cherokee), founder of the First Nations Development Institute; Robert Cheadle (Chickasaw), legislative counsel for the Chickasaw Nation; J.D. Colbert (Muscogee), president of the Native American Bankers Association; Stephen Cornell, Director of the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at the University of Arizona; Mary S. Gabler, vice president and community development manager for Wells Fargo; and Lance Morgan (Winnebago), founder of Ho-Chunk, Inc. of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

General sessions each day will address issues and opportunities for financial service providers, tribes and tribal members. Breakout sessions will provide specific information from experts on how to lay the groundwork for making capital and credit available in Indian Country, build relationships with key partners, leverage financial opportunities, and use financial resources for community economic development initiatives.

Banking Opportunities in Indian Country will be held November 18-20 at the DoubleTree Paradise Valley Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information call 866-226-7167 (toll free) or see the conference web site at www.federalreserve.gov/communityaffairs/national.