Post by Moon Seeker on Apr 9, 2009 16:15:26 GMT -5
The Genesis of "Native American Entrepreneurs"
posted by Wendie Feinberg, Managing Editor at 5:36 PM on 04/08/09
Nightly Business Report and the PBS prime-time program "American Experience" have a terrific working relationship. It was forged several years ago when we produced a series of stories on the Business of Las Vegas to go along with a series AE did called "Las Vegas, An Unconventional History." Its newest project "We Shall Remain" gave us another great opportunity to expand coverage of at topic. "We Shall Remain" is a series of 5 documentaries looking at Native history as a key part of American history. I first saw snippets of the material last spring, at a PBS conference, and was hugely impressed by the scope and power of the project. The prime time stories look back at history, so we decided to look at the present, and future.
Native Americans haven't played a big role in the American business community, but that's changing now, and the business landscape is better for it. We decided to produce three stories that will run on our air under the "Native American Entrepreneurs" moniker. Our stories will premiere the first 3 Mondays that "We Shall Remain" airs, starting Monday, April 13th. We wanted different examples of entrepreneurship, in different places. And we wanted to look beyond the Native American casino industry -- a story that's already been told.
We found terrific stories. You'll meet a serial entrepreneur -- a businessman who started a chain of barbecue restaurants (now listed on the NASDAQ), did a stint with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and now owns a water theme park in the Midwest. Dave Anderson is one neat guy. You'll learn how the Winnebago Tribe of Minnesota now runs a string of businesses that includes a construction firm, convenience stores and motels, a modular home maker, a Native American products retailer, and a company that distributes everything from telecom gear to cigarettes. You'll hear the story of Bank2, an Oklahoma City bank wholly owned by the Chickasaw Nation... and how it's bucking the trend of a terrible economy, determined to place $100 million in mortgages this year, mainly for Native American homeowners.
www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/
www.pbs.org/nbr/blog/2009/04/the_genesis_of_native_american.html
posted by Wendie Feinberg, Managing Editor at 5:36 PM on 04/08/09
Nightly Business Report and the PBS prime-time program "American Experience" have a terrific working relationship. It was forged several years ago when we produced a series of stories on the Business of Las Vegas to go along with a series AE did called "Las Vegas, An Unconventional History." Its newest project "We Shall Remain" gave us another great opportunity to expand coverage of at topic. "We Shall Remain" is a series of 5 documentaries looking at Native history as a key part of American history. I first saw snippets of the material last spring, at a PBS conference, and was hugely impressed by the scope and power of the project. The prime time stories look back at history, so we decided to look at the present, and future.
Native Americans haven't played a big role in the American business community, but that's changing now, and the business landscape is better for it. We decided to produce three stories that will run on our air under the "Native American Entrepreneurs" moniker. Our stories will premiere the first 3 Mondays that "We Shall Remain" airs, starting Monday, April 13th. We wanted different examples of entrepreneurship, in different places. And we wanted to look beyond the Native American casino industry -- a story that's already been told.
We found terrific stories. You'll meet a serial entrepreneur -- a businessman who started a chain of barbecue restaurants (now listed on the NASDAQ), did a stint with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and now owns a water theme park in the Midwest. Dave Anderson is one neat guy. You'll learn how the Winnebago Tribe of Minnesota now runs a string of businesses that includes a construction firm, convenience stores and motels, a modular home maker, a Native American products retailer, and a company that distributes everything from telecom gear to cigarettes. You'll hear the story of Bank2, an Oklahoma City bank wholly owned by the Chickasaw Nation... and how it's bucking the trend of a terrible economy, determined to place $100 million in mortgages this year, mainly for Native American homeowners.
www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/
www.pbs.org/nbr/blog/2009/04/the_genesis_of_native_american.html