MN Tribal Initiative Agenda Day 1

Promote your business
or organization at the
Summit Tradeshow

Vendor Fee of $100.00
(includes meals and summit registration)

Vendor Fee of $75.00
(booth only)

Northern Minnesota Reservation
Economic Development Summit and Trade Show
August 13 & 14, 2008
Northern Lights Casino, Walker, MN

Goal: To enhance business opportunities and foster economic growth from which Leech Lake, Red Lake and White Earth Tribal Nations will develop healthy and self-sufficient communities.
Outcomes:
1) Identify successful economic development models for tribal governments.
2) To strengthen Indian-owned businesses and promote "Buy Indian."

Emcee: David Glass, President, American Indian Economic Development Fund

Download the agenda in PDF format.

Agenda for Wednesday August 13

8:00 a.m. Registration/Continental Breakfast-Yellow Meal Ticket
* Remember to hold on to your meal tickets for raffle drawings
Leech Lake Ballroom

9:00 a.m. Invocation-Henry Sherer-Nason
Drum Ceremony-Leech Lake Nation
Flag Ceremony-Honor guards from each reservation
Leech Lake Ballroom

9:30 a.m. Welcome from Tribal Chairs
Arthur “Archie LaRose, Chair, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Floyd “Buck” Jourdain, Jr., Chair, Red Lake Nation
Erma Vizenor, Chair, White Earth Band of Ojibwe

10:00 a.m. Overview of Northern Minnesota Reservation Economic Development Commission
Andy Wells, Chair, Northern Minnesota Tribal Economic Development Commission

The Northern Minnesota Tribal Economic Development Commission was created by the governing bodies of the Leech Lake, Red Lake and White Earth Nations. The purpose of the Commission is to serve as a liaison between the Leech Lake Reservation, the Red Lake Reservation, the White Earth Reservation Tribal Councils, and area partners, businesses and interested parties to develop cooperative economic development efforts and other mutually beneficial projects on behalf of the three Tribal Nations and the region, which shall be presented to the three respective Tribal governments for approval.
Leech Lake Ballroom

10:30 a.m. Keynote Speaker- Developing Diverse Tribal Economies- The Lifeblood of Stable Sovereign Tribal Nations, Megan Minoka Hill, Associate Director of Honoring Nations Program, Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development
Leech Lake Ballroom

11:15 a.m. Break/Lunch Setup

11:30 a.m. Lunch-White Meal Ticket
Leech Lake Ballroom

12:00 p.m. Keynote Speaker-Make It Happen
Valerie Red-horse, President, Red-Horse Financial Group
Leech Lake Ballroom

12:45 p.m. Break/Lunch Cleanup

1:15 p.m. Breakout sessions
1) Higher Level Financing for Tribes-“Using OPM (Other People’s Money)”
Location: Leech Lake Room
a. Valerie Red-Horse, President, Red-Horse Financial Group
b. Robert Solomon, Founder, Beekman Securities, Inc.

2) Developing a creative team
Location: Battle Point Room
a. Judge Joseph Flies-Away
b. Jamie Fullmer, Blue Stone Strategy Group

3) Basic Business Marketing-“Get Noticed!”-The Fundamentals of Marketing
Location: Blackduck Room
a. Dave Smith, Marketing Assistant and Research Solutions, Bemidji State University
b. Andra Vaughn, Small Business Development Center, Bemidji State University

4) Minnesota Public Radio-“What’s News to You?”
Location: Onigum Room
a. Jim Bernstein
b. Linda Fantin
c. Dan Gunderson
d. Tom Robertson

5) Small business development and planning-“Working to Get Back to our Entrepreneurial Roots”
Location: Shingobee Room
a. Gail Leverson, Cass County Economic Development Corporation
b. Jennifer Waltman, American Indian Economic Development Fund
c. Sherri Komrosky, Procurement Technical Assistance Center

2:30 p.m. Break

2:45 p.m. Breakout sessions
1) Business Financing-“Financing Your Small Business”
Location: Leech Lake Room
a. Amy McKenna Luz, Association for Enterprise Opportunity
b. Duane Swanson, Western Bank, Cass Lake

2) Developing a creative team
Location: Battle Point Room
a. Joseph Flies-Away, Chief Judge of the Hualapai Tribal Court in Yreka, California
b. Jamie Fullmer, Blue Stone Strategy Group

4) Minnesota Public Radio-“What’s News to You?”
Location: Onigum Room
a. Jim Bernstein
b. Linda Fantin
c. Dan Gunderson
d. Tom Robertson

5) Tribal Purchasing-“Local Indian-Owned Businesses”
Location: Shingobee Room
a. Pam Standing, Executive Director, Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce
b. Lynn Dee Rapp, Eagle Opportunity

4:00 p.m. Adjourn

4:15 - 6:00 p.m. Trade Show Reception-Vendor Tent (West side of Northern Lights Casino)

6:30 p.m. Dinner & Entertainment-Everett Atherton, Elvis Impersonator
Red Meal Ticket - Leech Lake Ballroom

Summit Information
Government business, develop-ment programs, business opportunities for tribes and individuals, accessing capital, leveraging and maximizing federal and private sector resources and much more.

To Register
1. Print Registration Form
2. Complete Form
3. Mail to Address on Form

$75.00 early-bird registration
( before July 25, 2008)
$100.00 registration fee
(after July 25, 2008)

Book a Room
The Northern Lights Casino has been fully booked, however there are still rooms available at the Country Inn & Suites and AmericInn in Walker. Please call the following numbers for details:
Country Inn: (218) 547-1400
AmericInn: (218) 547-2200