Although there are no easy answers to the economic problems faced by the Northern Cheyenne in Southeast Montana, any economic development plans should stress long-term tribal self-sufficiency, serve community needs, and consider the Cheyenne culture. Differentiation theory is appropriate for understanding the local rural area and the special place the reservation occupies there, a place where people have been dependent on exporting extracted products and have lost any real control over their lives. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has mismanaged Cheyenne resources and unemployment on the reservation is high. Neither mere switching of export products nor total dependence on agriculture will solve the basic economic problems of the reservation, whose members favor the development of small businesses, certain industries, and coal mining for local use only. They feel that large scale mining would be both socially and environmentally harmful. Tribal members also feel the Cheyenne culture survives on the reservation, is significant, and must be preserved. Because community and economic development must proceed together, 13 guidelines help evaluate economic development options in terms of their compatibility with Cheyenne culture, concerns, and attitudes. Tribal participation is crucial to any economic development studies. Some tables, maps, and schematics illustrate points presented in the narrative. (SB)