IndigiDAO

Our solution team is a program of the nonprofit organization New Mexico Community Capital.

We are conducting research on legal entity options for the DAO. It is possible that IndigiDAO becomes its own legal entity under a “wrapped” DAO entity structure.

Problem #1: Economic marginalization by financial systems on Indigenous communities 

• There are over 270,000 Indigenous entrepreneurs in the United States. But limited access to capital resources stunts the growth potential of Native-owned enterprises,widening the racial wealth gap between Native Americans and other populations. Financing challenges stem from a lack of assets and established credit, isolation from mainstream financial institutions, discrimination, and a reliance on informal and sometimes predatory financial practices. 

• Indigenous people comprise less than 5% of the global population but protect more than 80% of its biodiversity. These protectors of earth include Indigenous farmers, entrepreneurs, artisans and holders of traditional knowledge.

  • A report from funders of a $1.7 billion pledge to support Indigenous peoples and local communities’ land rights made at the 2021 U.N. climate conference found that 48% of the financing was distributed, but only 2.1% of the funding went directly to Indigenous peoples and local communities, despite petitions to increase direct funding for their role in combating climate change and biodiversity loss.

• Centralized governance of financial resources such as grant funds to address these problems are often administered by well meaning organizations that fail to give affected community members a voice in how the funds are allocated. 

  • Native Americans as a whole are underrepresented in philanthropy and finance. While they make up 2.1% of the U.S. population, in 2020 Native communities received 0.4% of funding by large U.S. foundations (source: nativephilanthropy.org).

Problem #2: The digital divide in Indigenous communities and participating in the digital economy

• The widening digital divide reduces opportunity for engaging with, adopting, and creating innovative technologies to improve economic well-being. 

  • According to a 2019 study by the American Indian Policy Institute:

    • 18% of reservation residents have no internet access at home, either wireless or land-based internet (cable, DSL, dial-up)

    • 33% rely on cell phone service for at-home internet

    • 49% utilize a land-based internet service provider (cable, DSL, dial-up) at home

    • 31% have spotty internet or no connection at home via smartphone

Problem #3: Adoption of western governance systems adversely affect Indigenous communities

The adoption of Western governance systems by many tribes and Native communities in the United States can adversely affect Indigenous communities. These systems, including tribal constitutions, legal systems, and land management practices, often do not align with the unique needs, cultures, and histories of Indigenous communities. This mismatch can lead to resource exploitation, fragmented governance structures, ineffective decision-making, and hindered economic development

Problem #4: Inadequate protection and control of data for Indigenous communities  

Indigenous communities also face challenges related to the inadequate protection and control of their data. This issue can lead to misuse, lack of representation, and difficulties in preserving cultural and traditional knowledge. Data sovereignty, which allows Indigenous communities to control their data, is crucial for economic planning, resource management, and preserving cultural heritage. Lack of data sovereignty can hinder economic growth and self-determination.

The IndigiDAO project contains two essential components:

1. A set of open source software tools that help Indigenous communities form a DAO, (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) a self-sovereign financial cooperative. 

2. An educational curriculum that helps train non-technical community members on the use of this open source software.

DAO/Blockchain technology

IndigiDAO uses a category of blockchain technology called decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) to improve upon member cooperative models to raise and distribute capital, build wealth, and share power. A DAO facilitates collective governance regarding how funds are pooled and allocated, giving everyone an equal experience of ownership. Members share resources using transparent ledger tech, which gives each member a direct democratic voice in how the group uses and distributes its assets. It’s like a bank account with shared access, along with a governance mechanism to control the members’ use of funds. 

We chose the DAO and blockchain technologies in general because they are embedded with the principles of Buen Vivir, the collective well being that aims to ensure the material, social, and spiritual fulfillment of a community, not at the expense of others or to the detriment of nature. These values include:

• Participation

• Solidarity

• Cooperation

• Regeneration

We draw upon our ancestral knowledge and connection to the land and look at the DAO and its members as a mycelial network with the blockchain as a thread that connects everything from  digital identity, financial inclusion, data storage, and regulatory compliance that creates regenerative financial and governance systems. 

Financial education and basic income/economic sovereignty

We provide financial education as part of the services offered to DAO members. Our proposal includes staffed resources for training community members to onboard into the DAO and use the open source tools to contribute to its governance. We believe the DAO can be a digital finance cooperative that can empower our communities to establish data sovereignty and gain valuable experience with cutting-edge digital tools. 

By learning about open source technology coupled with financial literacy we envision DAO members developing the knowledge and capacities needed to achieve economic sovereignty and also address the digital divide in Indigenous communities. 

Strategic and mission aligned partnerships

Our core technical partner is a software development firm with 8 years of blockchain development experience. We are also building relationships with organizations both tech and community based that are focused on utilizing open sourced decentralized technologies to acquire more resources to projects that support stewardship of public goods, the earth commons and Indigenous knowledge. 

Our main community partner is New Mexico Community Capital (NMCC) , a 501c3 focused on helping Native communities achieve economic sovereignty. NMCC has worked for over 10 years providing seed funds, business mentorship, tech-centered education and access to capital to Native communities. 

Serving Indigenous Entrepreneurs 

IndigiDAO has the potential to have a significant impact on Indigenous communities throughout the world by helping them achieve economic sovereignty.

For our prototype phase, the first cohort, we will work with our community partner New Mexico Community Capital to  support Indigenous entrepreneurs and small business owners that are receiving business support through their Business and Marketing Essentials (BME) classes. This cohort can include Indigenous entrepreneurs, farmers and artisans who are incorporating their Indigenous culture and practices into their business models while stewarding and exercising their Indigenous rights to the land. 

The problem they face is that traditional and western financial and governance systems have created barriers to participation for Indigenous communities and leave many Indigenous entrepreneurs in a worse state than when they started their business. Our goal is to help these individuals receive the resources and education to achieve economic sovereignty and collectively create a kinship economy that connects all Indigenous communities. 

The DAO will provide a vessel for innovative financial mechanisms that align mission driven funders and investors to Indigenous led initiatives and business ventures. It uses decentralized technology to incorporate Indigenous value systems to govern these financial mechanisms. To further empower these Indigenous entrepreneurs we look to educate and create awareness of financial education and technology. This will enhance their core competencies to implement innovative tools and technologies that will further enhance their journey to economic sovereignty.

IndigiDAO Team Overview

As a majority led and Native serving team, IndigiDAO strives to remain grounded in service to Indigenous entrepreneurs. 

We have cultivated a relationship with Chroma, our technology partner, that shares our vision of amplifying Indigenous and BIPOC communities. 

Team member Elizabeth “Liz” Gamboa was born and raised in Tongva territory/Los Angeles, and is Indigenous (Mexican/Apache descent). Being from CA, spending 20+ years in the Bay Area, and currently calling Albuquerque, NM home, Liz has significant work serving Native communities in New Mexico and California providing her financial and technical expertise as the Executive Director for New Mexico Community Capital.

Team member Henry Jake Foreman is of Absentee Shawnee and Filipino descent. Henry is himself a social entrepreneur as founder of Karuna Colectiva, an intergenerational cooperative that connects back to Indigenous ways of knowing. Located in Albuquerque, Henry has extensive experience providing technical assistance to Native entrepreneurs and communities in New Mexico. Henry is Program Director at New Mexico Community Capital.

Team Lead Richard Ng is a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) with diverse heritage who was born on the island of Oahu. Richard’s work experience ranges from nonprofit and local government/public education administration coupled with creating innovation and social impact programs for startups and global corporations. He has taken his diverse work experience to assist Kanaka entrepreneurs on developing business models that incorporate Native Hawaiian values and social impact frameworks.

Indigenous Rights Centered Design Process

We understand that how finance and governance systems are structured will determine community health and wellness. Our work is guided by an Indigenous rights centered design practice that is inspired by the open source human rights centered design practice. This methodology requires us to be in community throughout the design and education process https://www.humanrightscentered.design/. We made the conscious decision to center Indigenous rights that include all human rights but also emphasize Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous people’s rights over their land, language, and other elements of cultural heritage that are a part of their existence and identity as a people.

We have implemented this design process because we understand that Indigenous people are the earth’s guardians and that kinship ecology, reciprocity, being good ancestors to future generations, living earth paradigm, and rights of nature are crucial to the development of technology. 

Community engagement is embedded throughout our design process as capacity building with the member entrepreneurs themselves. Their engagement allows us to co-design an ecology of technologies and technical assistance that will result in tools and resources such as a curriculum of technical assistance and a DAO onboarding manual that is culturally relevant and relevant to their own personal and business challenges. 

Using sustainability, transparency, decentralization and collaboration to converge technology and Indigenous knowledge. This work channels resources to create an Indigenous rights-centered global kinship economy that mimics nature's wisdom.

IndigiDAO Concept Research and Development Methodology: The Vision Quest

In this concept stage we have embraced Dr. Greg Cajete's Indigenous Vision Learning methodology for the IndigiDAO vision/design process, consisting of seven transformative stages:

1. Asking
2. Seeking
3. Making
4. Having
5. Sharing
6. Celebrating
7. Being

In our conceptual stage, we are deeply engaged in the asking, seeking, and making phases, intensely researching and developing the prototype for the IndigiDAO platform.

Hypothesis

Our formulated hypothesis states that IndigiDAO merges open-source decentralized blockchain technology, like a DAO, with Indigenous knowledge systems, ceremonies, and protocols. This convergence establishes a regenerative financial system, catalyzing a kinship-based economy for Indigenous communities to achieve economic sovereignty.

Indigenous Centered Design Methodology - Community Engagement and Gathering User Requirements for Prototype Development (The Asking Stage)

We've implemented an Indigenous-rights-centered design process, placing Indigenous communities at the forefront of our research and development efforts. Our community engagement with leaders and subject matter experts has been pivotal.

Our most important and vital work has been the research and community engagement with Indigenous communities. We have worked alongside the New Mexico Community Capital to engage Indigenous communities in New Mexico. These potential users include: Indigenous entrepreneurs, farmers, artisans, financial experts, and cultural stewards across New Mexico and Arizona. We've also conducted extensive research meetings with educators, technologists, social impact practitioners, Indigenous cultural stewards, and financial and legal advisors from New Mexico and and Indigenous business and community leaders from Arizona. 

Through these efforts, we've gained crucial insights into the needs of Indigenous entrepreneurs and business owners. We now know they need innovative tools that can create new financial mechanisms for funding and business operations. We understand that Indigenous entrepreneurs need to be able to govern their own economies and how resources are acquired. The opportunity and desire to collaborate, share knowledge and resources, to create a kinship economy is also desired. Most importantly we understand the need and frequency to build bonds of trust with Indigenous leaders when proposing new technologies and systems. 

To address these needs our team has identified the core concepts driving IndigiDAO's design, including Indigenous governance, sovereignty, kinship economies, open-source software, blockchain technology, data sovereignty, cryptography, Web 3.0 technology stack, general artificial intelligence, and decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) structures. 

We've actively participated in community events focusing on the implementation and real world impacts of our core concepts and technologies that drive IndigiDAO's design: social impact, decentralized technologies, impact investing, funding public good initiatives, and Indigenous innovation. These events have been knowledge oases during our vision quest and include: SOCAP Global, the University of San Francisco Blockchain Law for Social Good: Social Impact Summit, the AI User Conference, Funding the Commons San Francisco Bay Area: AI and the Open Web, and the MIT Solve Indigenous Innovators Summit 2024. Attending these opportunities has created the opportunities team to engage with technologists and leaders in the decentralized web community and Indigenous technologists and Innovators. We have listened to panels and speeches from global subject matter experts who are leading the space and confirming the utility of decentralized technologies for economic development and also Indigenous innovators that have integrated Indigenous knowledge with emerging technologies. These interactions have created milestone opportunities to lay the foundation to create impactful collaborations in the short and long term with global thought leaders. 

Activating Prototype Development (The Making Stage)

Our research and community engagement has led to the activation of our prototype design and planning with our technology partner, Chroma. Through our conversations and interviews we have collected qualitative data and analyzed the user requirements for the prototype development process. 

We understand that a big component of this project will be educating Indigenous communities on open source and decentralized technologies. We are completing the development of a curriculum and onboarding manual for the first cohort of IndigiDAO users, including enhanced learning experiences using AR and VR technologies and will have that completed by Q2 2024

A big milestone was the work to identify our technology stack and a set of open-source software tools that can onboard Indigenous communities form a DAO. We are ready to start to test the prototype and are looking to work with New Mexico Community Capital have to identify first cohort of Indigenous entrepreneurs to be onboarded and educated on decentralized systems for governance and finance and onboarded on to IndigiDAO as a member. 

The work on our product development side has also allowed us to start to engage with blockchain and open source software foundations building relationships that can lead to potential collaborations. We have started to explore designing and hosting events around open source software and financial inclusivity and also starting to identify opportunities for grants to receive development resources. 

DAO Design Principles and Legal Entity

Regarding DAO design principles and legal entities, we've collaborated with our economic advisor at the Nourishment Economic Coalition to develop economic and sovereignty principles. We've also engaged with attorneys at the law firm of Perkins Thompson, specializing in blockchain, digital assets, intellectual property, technology law, and startups. 

Furthermore, our team has met with the Catawba tribe's Digital Economic Zone to explore their DAO structures of DAO LLCs and DAO Unincorporated Nonprofit Associations (DUNA) as DAO legal entities provided to the community. We are extremely excited about this opportunity and to learn what tribes such as the Catawba are doing to support the the decentralized technology we are using to build IndigiDAO. 

Roadmap: Transition to Prototype Stage

From all of our finding in the concept stage we are confident in the positive impact that IndigiDAO will have on Indigenous communities. We our proud of the due diligence we've undertaken in the asking and seeking stage of our vision quest. Upon completion of the making of our prototype, we will successfully transition to the prototype stage, poised to make a profound impact on Indigenous communities. 

“ You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”  - R. Buckminster Fuller

Technical Assistance in Product Development

We are applying to Solve to receive specialized technical assistance to further develop the IndigiDAO prototype. Specifically, we need support to navigate the broader ecology beyond software development (legal services, business modeling, etc.). Native communities face a significant barrier around connecting with experienced software developers and blockchain enterprises. This is further exacerbated by the lack of knowledge and perception of risk involved in blockchain development such as cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens and DAOs. 

The project's commitment to open-source software aligns with its mission to create a social impact and provide a shared resource for Indigenous communities. We realize that there are opportunities to receive both financial and also technology development resources that could be allocated to this project because of the massive potential of social impact. We are exploring partnerships with Open Source Software Foundations and blockchain foundations like the Linux Foundation and Filecoin Foundation to access development and financial resources. Assistance from Solve in engaging these organizations would help clarify the roadmap for deploying the prototype.

IndigiDAO is considering layer 1 and 2 options for its technical stack and has committed to using open-source software. We are exploring partnerships, such as with Optimism as a Layer 2 partner, to create strategic alliances and would also seek guidance from Solve in this area.

To ensure responsible financial practices, the funds in the proposed DAO will remain in US Dollars, and any curriculum developed will avoid promoting speculative investments. Continued research and development around the tokenization of this technology is also an incentive for us to apply to Solve. 

Creating resource acquisition strategies that are impact driven and mission aligned

As we have conducted research on the competitive landscape we have learned that our product sits in the “public goods” category that is focused on funding decentralized technologies that support the stewardship of the commons or public good. We look at Indigenous knowledge as a separate category outside of public good. We consider it a living knowledge that is sacred. However, we have observed the funding mechanisms and the thriving regenerative finance (ReFi) space and know that this would be the space to connect with the companies that are furthering this work and providing resources. It would be ideal to be a part of the Solve ecosystem to explore and connect with the bioregenerative funding facilities that are being designed and deployed to connect funding to Indigenous communities to regenerate the earth through economic development. 

Conducting Research: Indigenous Knowledge as a Public Good or Sacred Knowledge

As we explore resource acquisitions, IndigiDAO will develop research questions around defining public good in an Indigenous rights-centered design process. We are inspired by efforts in New Zealand to extend intellectual property rights to cover Indigenous and traditional knowledge or to treat Indigenous knowledge as a public good. We seek guidance to ensure their product does not adversely affect Indigenous communities who are the stewards of this knowledge.

Team Lead Richard Ng is a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) with diverse heritage who was born on the island of Oahu. Richard’s work experience is deeply rooted in and guided by Indigenous communities. He has extensive experience in nonprofit and local government/public education administration, where he has implemented programs that respect and integrate Indigenous perspectives. Richard has also developed innovation and social impact programs for startups and global corporations, always ensuring they align with Indigenous communities values and social impact frameworks. Committed to supporting Kanaka and Native entrepreneurs, Richard has dedicated his career to helping them develop social enterprise business models that honor their cultures and communities. Additionally, Richard supports the Storytelling team at New Mexico Community Capital to amplify the voices of Indigenous Women entrepreneurs through The Future Is Indigenous Women (TFIIW) Initiative, showcasing their resilience and contributions to the community. 

IndigiDAO's Innovative Approach: Fusing Buen Vivir Values, Indigenous Knowledge, and Decentralized Technology

At IndigiDAO, we anchor our work in the values of Buen Vivir, including participation, solidarity, cooperation, and regeneration. Our innovative approach lies in the convergence of these principles with Indigenous knowledge and decentralized technology. A core concept of our project is to establish bonds of trust between Indigenous communities and technology, potentially bridging the digital divide.

To achieve this, we articulate our value propositions to communities, emphasizing positive outcomes of the IndigiDAO project:

1. Supporting Indigenous Entrepreneurs: Our solution provides improved access to capital resources and opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs, aligning with the growth of decentralized public good initiatives and regenerative finance sectors. We aim to bridge the gap between funders and Indigenous communities, enhancing impact and innovation.

2. Exploring Innovative Funding Mechanisms: The DAO enables us to explore quadratic funding and basic income mechanisms, enhancing community engagement and support based on predetermined criteria.

3. Enhancing Open Source Software Development: IndigiDAO aligns frameworks of funding commons/public goods, regenerative finance, decentralized technologies, and Indigenous Knowledge. This approach opens opportunities for impactful development, as seen in the significant funding allocations by open-source and crypto foundations in 2022. Creating a DAO lays the foundation for a shared digital cooperative structure that decreases the barriers to accessing affordable or no cost financial services, marketing services, technical assistance and digital assets. The DAO itself will be built on open source software that others can access and modify according to their own community needs. What this means is that we are creating a potential market shift to allocate some of these resources to directly impact the development of decentralized technologies that are Indigenous-rights centered.

4. Building a Mission-Aligned Developer Community: We aim to attract technical resources from open-source and crypto foundations to reduce product development costs. By applying a workforce development component to increase Native tech participation and developing Native technologists with the skills to develop cutting edge technology, this is an opportunity to catalyze the strategies and impacts of open source and crypto foundations. Through IndigiDAO corporate foundations can move beyond donating development resources to also providing resources to develop a workforce of Native technologists. This would directly impact the barrier for Indigenous communities to get exposed to new and innovative technologies while creating opportunities for developers to participate in frontline community engagement and education with Indigenous communities. It is truly an innovative approach to technology and product development, happening at a time when the open source industry is providing resources to develop these technologies. 

5. Addressing Data Sovereignty: IndigiDAO empowers Native communities by providing data ownership, aligning with Indigenous rights and blockchain principles.

6. Creating a Replicable Bio-Regional Model: Our project offers a model for Indigenous communities worldwide, promoting cohesion, collective buying power, and Indigenous rights-led governance. Through blockchain and the DAO structure, we envision a shift towards a more place-based, sovereign, circular, relational economy of indigenous culture, and ecology that enables the recovery of the sacred earth.

When IndigiDAO, a fusion of open source web 3.0 blockchain technology and Indigenous knowledge systems, ceremonies, and worldviews, is established, it initiates a transformative process. Through this convergence, a regenerative financial system emerges, sparking the growth of a relationship-based and kinship economy tailored to Indigenous communities. By enabling economic sovereignty, IndigiDAO empowers Indigenous communities, fostering self-determination and sustainable development. This shift towards community-centered economic models cultivates resilience, preserves cultural identity, and paves the way for holistic prosperity within Indigenous societies.

According to a September 2021 report by the Brookings Institution, “Access to electronic financial services, in particular digital money, has replaced the digital divide as an unintended yet significant barrier for low-income individuals to participate in new technologies. Access to digital payments is more expensive and difficult to obtain for lower-income households and racial minorities despite decades of continuing growth of usage of digital money. (It) is an under-appreciated vector by which technological innovation, both financial and non-financial, can be hindered in reaching certain populations.”  

The governance structure of a DAO represents a potential solution to the numerous barriers faced by Native entrepreneurs in accessing early stage capital. How? It eliminates any intermediary and puts decisions in the hands of its members. We are also optimistic about the potential efficacy of this solution in that it closes the widening digital divide and offers firsthand experience with blockchain technology. 

Short-term change will involve increased levels of awareness of:

1.What a DAO is and how it can enhance community and financial structures.

2. How blockchain and decentralized technologies enables a group of people to acquire resources and/or raise and manage funds collectively and with full transparency.

3. How to include Indigenous knoweldge, ceremonies and protocols into the design of decentralized technologies

Medium-term change will involve engagement among the DAO’s membership towards establishing its purpose(s) and proposing potential sources and uses of available funds.

Long-term change will involve higher levels of digital literacy on emerging technologies among project participants as well as expedited and expanded access to capital for Native-owned enterprises.

As we further the development of our concept we are planning an initial phase to deploy our prototype. The timeline below frames out phases and early metrics that we are looking to measure impact and success:

Impact goals and metrics for Phase 1: Discovery and Prototype (Year 1):

• Cultivate a group of people united by a motivation to pilot a DAO centered on the needs of Native American entrepreneurs. 

• Build a DAO powered by blockchain technology.

• Activate an Indigenous-rights centered design process to engage the DAO’s members in listening sessions to understand the obstacles they face in strengthening and/or growing their companies.

• Educate the DAO’s members about blockchain technology and facilitate a process in which its overall purpose and economic architecture (tokens, votes, etc.) are established. 

• Activate the DAO and its members to engage in DAO activities. Our team will consider the following list of indicators in our initial approach to measuring progress towards impact goals. The majority will be generated by data analytics while others will be tracked by project staff. We are also interested in integrating health and well-being indicators.

  • # of DAO members

  • # of Indigenous DAO members

  • # of DAO members participating in listening sessions

  • # of DAO members voting on establishing its purpose(s) / architecture

  • # of DAO members voting on uses / investments of funds

  • # of DAO members proposing revenue generation models

  • # of DAO members accessing capital for their businesses

  • # of DAO members completing Financial and technology education courses

  • $ amount invested into DAO member enterprises

  • # of potential match investors educated on this initiative

  • # of match investors who join this initiative

  • $ amount of additional raised to grow the DAO’s investment capacity 

Impact goals and metrics for Phase II: prototype deployment and product development

Our impact goals for subsequent years will be contingent upon fundraising success and co-developed with project beneficiaries. 

These metrics will build upon the IndigiDAO metrics to measure continued growth and different dimensions of economic sovereignty. They will also include resource acquisition so that we can measure sustainability of the project.

These indicators can include:

• Developing an alignment matrix that shows how we create strategic partnerships. This can measure

  • Resources acquired from open source foundations (financial and technical)

  • Resources acquired from crypto foundations (financial and technical)

  • # of educational resources developed on web3.0 product development for Native technologists

• Product Development

  • Measuring the lifecycle and sustainability of the DAO

    • Enhanced code repositories

    • Continuous integration systems

    • Testing resources

    • Conformance programs

    • Developer engagement

      • Hackathons

      • Other developer events

Technical summary

IndigiDAO is an open-source platform that lowers the startup and operational costs needed to operate democratically governed financial cooperatives. It uses concepts pioneered by the blockchain DAO movement to allow users to hold financial balances and real world assets in a collective “group bank account.” Transactions affecting this balance are managed via an “on-chain” governance process, that can itself be modified by the group’s collective intentions. 

Our current version utilizes the Ethereum network. In order to lower transaction costs, our smart contracts reside on an Ethereum “Layer 2” network called Optimism. 

There are two main major aspects to our technical stack. The “backend” is primarily served by the smart contracts residing on the optimism network. These contracts are open source and can even be configured to remove our write-access, allowing indigenous communities to launch and maintain total technical sovereignty over them.

Our front end is a more traditional web application, with its own client-server model. The web front end provides our users with an approachable user experience, allowing non-technical users to use a mouse and keyboard to interact with the DAO features. Importantly, the DAO’s smart contracts do not depend upon this user interface. If the interface were to be compromised, all of the smart contract’s features can be utilized without a web interface by more technical users. This architecture helps us maintain our pledge of allowing indigenous groups to maintain total self-sovereignty without relying on proprietary infrastructure to manage their community assets. 

Features:

Democratic, software-defined governance: IndigiDAO facilitates democratic governance through a voting system that records member votes in public, by recording them in smart contracts stored on a public blockchain. 

The logic governing this voting software may be modified by this governance process. For instance, some votes may require a mere 51% majority to succeed; others may need full consensus. The community’s ability to program its own governance logic contributes to the claim that IndigiDAO collectives are truly self-governed. 

Collective ownership and management: IndigiDAO facilitates collective ownership and management of financial assets. Each DAO has a single digital wallet that serves as its "group bank account." Balances are held in US Dollar denominated digital currency called USDC. 

Community members can pool their resources and hold assets collectively within the DAO, ensuring equitable access and democratic control over financial resources. This approach fosters economic empowerment and preserves the cultural values of communal ownership and solidarity within indigenous societies. 

Through transparent and auditable smart contracts, IndigiDAO ensures that asset management decisions are made collectively and transparently, empowering community members to shape their economic destiny while preserving their cultural identity and sovereignty. This collective ownership model not only strengthens the resilience of indigenous economies but also fosters a sense of unity and collaboration among community members.

New Mexico

Arizona

Alaska

Oklahoma

California

There are 5 members that are currently working on the solutions team

• 2 part time staff

• 3 contractors

We have been working on the IndigiDAO project for two and a half years.

IndigiDAO is a Native-led and Native-centered project. Our approach to incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusivity is fundamental to IndigiDAO’s existence, mission, vision and product development. Everything we do is aimed towards uplifting the culture, talents, and knowledge  of Indigenous communities and Native American entrepreneurs, both emerging and established. 

Partnerships and Vendor Diversity

In developing partnerships and strategic alliances we look for values alignment that focuses on uplifting Indigenous communities. Our anchor community partner NMCC is led by an Indigenous woman (Executive Director) and a majority of our staff also identify as Indigenous. Earlier this month, NMCC’s board of directors took a significant step by welcoming 4 new members, all Native American. Our technology partner Chroma is also completely aligned with our mission and uses decentralized technology for Indigenous communities to achieve economic sovereignty. We also use this same approach when considering vendors or service providers, essentially creating a diverse vendor policy. We prioritize working with Indigenous vendors and secondarily with vendors that are aligned with the mission of IndigiDAO. 

Indigenous rights-centered Design Process and technology

Our work is guided by an indigenous rights centered design practice that is inspired by the open source human rights centered design practice. This methodology requires us to be in community throughout the design and education process https://www.humanrightscentered.design/.

Our decision to use open source software is also a DEI value as we want to ensure that any technology that is developed and deployed will not diminish the sovereignty of our Indigenous communities.

Through the proposed pilot project, we hope to employ more Native American entrepreneurs to co-create and indigenize the DAO. This is another aspect of inclusivity that we uphold whenever possible. By adopting a co-creative process, we will build the capacity of its members in the areas of digital and financial literacy while making space to integrate Indigenous ways of knowing. This ensures that the development of the technology is truly Indigenous led.

Phase I: IndigiDAO B2B Business Model

In this first phase we will utilize a B2B model where we collaborate with nonprofits and tribal nations for training and software development. In this phase we will focus on onboarding a cohort of Native entrepreneurs in the DAO and providing services and resources to them.

As we continue to build out our prototype and identify more uses for the DAO to allow Indigenous communities to achieve economic and data sovereignty, we could also establish channel partnerships with organizations that are mission aligned and already serving Indigenous communities. This would enhance our DAO deployment strategy. We can look to our current partnership with New Mexico Community Capital as an example. If down the line we were to spin off into our own entity to house and manage the DAO, then we would want to partner with an organization such as NMCC that provides programming and resources to Indigenous communities. The DAO would onboard program participants, strengthen NMCC’s governance structure, and create opportunities for collaboration that are focused on economic development and economic sovereignty.

There are also possibilities to deploy the DAO to other types of organizations that are focused on different mechanisms for Indigenous rights, such as land trusts. The DAO could be deployed to land trusts to create systems of governance and data collection in a secure format.

This model would make the creation and formation of a DAO a service that IndigiDAO provides to aligned organizations. 

Phase II: IndigiDAO B2C Business Model

Our organization’s key value proposition is expanding access to and efficacy of physical and digital business development resources and assets. We provide value to Native American entrepreneurs through differentiated contributions to the ecosystem including culturally aligned technical assistance (small group training, 1:1 consultation, referrals to specialists, and sector-specific marketing support for artists and farmers), building trust with community, and sharing power. 

In terms of the proposed pilot project, we anticipate that the DAO’s beneficiaries (members) will want to participate because of the scarcity of business financing channels available to most Native entrepreneurs. 

What this B2C model looks like could be considered as 2 models:

• Software as a Service (SaaS) model: The products that NMCC provides can be a diverse range of (SaaS) that can be compiled into a cooperative model. We will provide these services on a blockchain network that will automate the execution of actions via codes and algorithms that can expedite the process to make funding decisions and transfer resources.

• Biodiversity Venture Studio / Regenerative Finance (ReFi) Facility: The DAO can also be used to ingest funding from mission aligned funders and investors and help Native entrepreneurs to create their own ventures through the DAO. 

When considering IndigiDAO’s funding strategies for sustainability, it's essential to understand the product life cycle of an open-source software project. We view open source as a catalyst for economic growth and a means to develop a robust cash flow. The project is planned in the following phases:

Phase I Concept: Research & Development (R&D), Discovery, Prototype Build

Phase II Prototype/Launch: Prototype Launch, Proof of Concept, Product Fit, Product Development

Phase III Commercialization

Phase IV Maintain/Sustain

Articulating our Value Proposition: Decentralized Technology for Indigenous Economic Sovereignty

Our value proposition positions IndigiDAO as a leader in public good-oriented projects that leverage blockchain, DAOs, and Indigenous knowledge to achieve Indigenous economic sovereignty. This proposition is crucial in acquiring resources at any project lifecycle stage.

Current Phase I Funding Strategy: Direct Grants + Partnerships

Our R&D and discovery phase rely on direct grants and partnerships. We have received a seed grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to conduct R&D as part of their Pioneering Ideas Program. Our partnership with New Mexico Community Capital has been vital, enabling community engagement and implementing our Indigenous rights-centered design process.

Phase II Funding Strategy: Blended Finance Strategy

In the second phase, we aim to bring financial resources through sustained grants and strategic in-kind contributions.

Understanding the Open Source Funding Landscape

Funding for open source is increasing, with more Foundations and Crypto Foundations allocating resources. In 2022, open source foundations totaled $304M in funding, while Government tech funds totaled $16M. Company-organized open-source funds totaled $12M, and crowdsourced donations totaled $10M. Additionally, Crypto and blockchain Foundations have $100 billion earmarked for attracting users and developers to open-source projects.

Grants

We will continue to seek direct grant funding from foundations and government agencies for innovation and Indigenous empowerment. We collaborate with NMCC, our community partner, which has successfully managed multi-year grant awards from private philanthropies and federal agencies. NMCC has also received funding to develop IndigiWork and the online marketplacewww.IndigiExchange.com. In addition, in 2021 NMCC secured a significant 5-year award in collaboration with Native Women Lead to develop a waterway of investment funds and tailored technical assistance for Native women entrepreneurs. We believe the proposed DAO solution will complement these resources and help propel their companies forward.

Phase III and Beyond: Quadratic Funding and Public Intelligence

Utilizing open-source software and the DAO will unlock new funding models such as quadratic funding. This decentralized strategy aligns with our mission and incorporates the DAO and Indigenous communities in the funding process.

Establishing Revenue Streams

Long-term revenue will come from administrative fees and the DAO's ability to accumulate digital and physical assets.

We are optimistic about raising investment capital once the DAO structure is validated, driving Indigenous economic sovereignty and sustainability.