A Lakota woman from the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation has received a national award recognizing her work in helping individuals and families in communities of color build wealth and achieve economic security.
Four Bands Community Fund Executive Director Tanya Fiddler has been honored as an Asset Builder Champion by theCenter for Global Policy Solutions.
The award was presented at The Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Initiative’s Color of Wealth Summit in Washington, DC.
Tanya Fiddler says she’s honored to receive the award and hopes it brings attention to the disparities in wealth across the country.
“Those that we know as clients and customers of Four Bands,” observes Fiddler, “many are living and working below the poverty level. And they’re working hard…they’re working a couple of jobs. But for lack of access to affordable financial products…or lack of access to assets…they are never going to get out of the hole. And these things are
perpetuated systemically unless there’s an intervention…so to speak. And we’re doing that through community development and community development institutions.”
The Lakota businesswoman has built the Four Bands Community Fund into one of the most successful financial organizations in Indian Country.
Tanya Fiddler continues to promote economic development ventures on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. She notes that the asset building work Four Bands is committed to is critical in building an all-inclusive economy.