I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.
June 22, 1997
By Devlyn Brooks
Staff Writer
RED LAKE -- The business needs of the Red Lake Reservation are many, and there are several obstacles American Indians here need to overcome before economic development can begin to flourish.
That was the consensus of one of the break-out sessions -- "What type of businesses are need on the Red Lake Reservation?" -- held here Friday during the Red Lake Nation Economic Development Summit.
The summit, sponsored by the reservation, was held in order to generate discussion on how the Red Lake Nation can increase employment and privately owned enterprises on the reservation. It attracted nearly 200 economic development officials, business people and politicians from across the state.
Karl Lajeunesse of the Red Lake Retail Center suggested the reservation needs more businesses which focus on providing activities for children. She said she has an 11-year-old daughter who says there is nothing to do besides drive to Bemidji.
Lajeunesse said businesses such as a movie theater, game room or arcade and a music shop would also help keep more money on the reservation.
"The kids need some place to go and something to do," she said. "Like Smart Skate in Bemidji. That place is packed every Wednesday night."
Theresa Jones of the Minnesota Indian Business Loan Program agreed.
"All of our main concerns as tribal members revolves on our kids," she said. "We go to Bemidji and spend money for our kids there. We only have stores that sell things for adults here, such as groceries and gas."
Other businesses needed on the reservation mentioned by panel participants included a car wash, craft shop, day-care centers and a discount store.
Summit participants agreed during both times the break-out session was held that day care was the most important issue currently facing the reservation.
"We need day care," said George Wells of Red Lake Gaming Enterprises and a panelist during the session. "We especially need day care during the evening and on weekends because it is scarce. There are a lot of shifts at the casino and elsewhere that start at night or on the weekend."
As for getting the businesses off the ground, Lajeunesse said there was a lot of talk at last year's summit about the same issues now discussed, but nothing was done because either the money was not there or entrepreneurs did not know how to get started.
However, Paul Welle of First National Bank of Bemidji said he found some of the ideas being suggested plausible, and if a prospective business owner could provide him with statistical data to support the plan, he might fund it.
"I think these are good ideas. As a banker I would like some information about the marketing of each," he said. "But if you have some data to show a business is needed, a potential business owner would have a good case for a banker."
Susan Hoosier of the Bemidji Women in New Development program suggested the reservation try another approach in attracting money. She said all small communities, such as Red Lake, fight the battle of keeping local dollars in the community, but it is a losing fight because people just simply are stimulated by purchasing goods elsewhere once in a while.
"So, why not turn the situation around bring people into (Red Lake) with some type of annual event," she said. "It might be futile trying to stop (Red Lake) people from spending their dollars in Bemidji."
Connie Berg, a summit planning committee member, and Michael Bongo, director of the Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce, disagreed however.
Berg said those at the summit had to educate Red Lakers to spend their money at home to keep it on the reservation longer.
"I know I don't buy my groceries in Bemidji anymore," she said. "I buy them at the (Red Lake) Trading Post."
Comparing the Indian community with the Jewish community -- which he said spends its money within itself many times over -- Bongo said the reservation had to inform people of the impact of spending at home.
"The reservation doesn't capture the full benefit of its resources and economic capabilities," he said. "Indian communities tend to be their own worst enemies. (Red Lake) has more Indian-owned and operated businesses than any other reservation in Minnesota. That's a good start."
Other sessions during Friday's economic summit included discussion on marketing, advertising, aquaculture opportunities, value-added forest products and many more concerning small businesses.
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