Money generates power to “wave the magic wand” and solve problems in the community, said Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., a business project of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

Before Ho-Chunk, Winnebago was a pretty stark place, Morgan said. There was generational poverty, very little housing, and few people held bachelor degrees.

“If you were betting, you would not bet on us,” Morgan said, but Ho-Chunk has turned conditions on the reservation around with the backing and innovation of the tribe.

Morgan’s remarks came during the State of Our Union event organized by The Atlantic magazine in partnership with the Flatwater Free Press. The event, hosted in Lincoln on Oct. 23, featured a series of discussions with local leaders, policy makers and journalists on topics of regional and national importance.

Morgan said the tribe’s median family income 20 years ago was about $26,000. Now, it’s $57,000. 

They achieved that growth, he said, and “created a middle class from scratch,” by building up every aspect of the community including education, health, housing, and economic opportunities.

“A little bit of socialism goes a long way,” Morgan said, in business now when striking a balance between being sustainable and being successful.

Preserving tradition while working in the American capitalist system was an internal fight and worry when the company was founded. But as the years went on, they decided to stop worrying because Ho-Chunk’s board of directors and executive team are tribal, and they all held the same set of values “that don’t necessarily tie into capitalism,” Morgan said.

Ho-Chunk Inc. supports a nonprofit arm with capital each year, then that nonprofit goes out and generates funds for social-oriented community projects. It’s a symbiotic relationship, Morgan said, that allows both sides to maximize their opportunities.

“We’re not trying to make the most dollar. We’re not just trying to get credit for a charitable thing,” Morgan said. “We’re just trying to find out systems and institutions in our community that will generate growth.”

The Atlantic’s State of Our Union live series is meant to explore the importance of local journalism. Mississippi hosted the event in 2023.

The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraska’s first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter.