Native Business Magazine • 11th August 2022

An Aquaponic Farming Dream Grows Green

​While the business side of aquaponics is a new frontier, the agricultural system of growing fish and plants together in recirculated water dates way back to Tenochtitlan, the former Aztec empire (and modern-day Mexico City). Miles of intricate canals, known as chinampas, wove throughout the ancient city, built with layers of lake mud and dead plant matter that

3rd May 2020

Grandma's Teapot

A very old silver teapot sits like a trinket on a table in my hallway, surrounded by pictures and other tchotchkes. Like many things that are old, it goes unnoticed. Not one person who has ever walked by that table has ever commented on the tarnished antique. Nor, shame on me, have I ever made them aware of it.

Native Business Magazine • 22nd May 2020

A Beef With Ag Financing Leads to an Innovative Alternative

The Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) has been advocating for Native American food producers since 1987. “We serve Native American agriculture anywhere across the country in any portion of the food sector — from a soil scientist to a grocer. We help any Native looking to highlight locally sourced, Native-grown food to provide a livelihood for his or her family,

OC Family Magazine • 3rd May 2020

Husbands Come and Go. But Dogs are Forever.

Then I had to face the truth. The REAL reason I didn’t want a cat was Higgins – my beloved Cocker Spaniel who died last year. Higgins had been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. The ex and I got him when we were dating. I was smitten from Day One. (With Higgins, that is.) He crawled out from the bottom of a puppy pile, this tiny fur ball with red, floppy ears, and stood in the middle of a milk bowl for a quick lap with his tiny tongue. SOLD!

St. Mary's College • 18th February 2018

'House of Cards' Star Opens Up

You could say that the 38-year-old Mahershala Ali owes his acting career to his grandfather. A gifted athlete from Hayward, Calif., Ali attended Saint Mary’s College on a basketball scholarship.

Native Business Magazine • 3rd February 2020

The All-Inclusive Business Leader: Sajeed ‘Titu’ Asghar, Morongo Band CEO

While most of us are still snoozing, Sajeed “Titu” Asghar is already up and running every day. “My morning starts at 4:30 with news, a portfolio review, calls to the broker dealer in New York and answering emails,” says Asghar, the chief executive officer for The Morongo Band of Mission Indians since 2016.

Madison Magazine • 16th February 2018

The Newcomer's Guide to Madison

When you move someplace new, you're lucky if there is a moment of reassurance that yes, you're in the right place. For newcomers to Madison, that moment is likely to happen when ...

Wisconsin School News • 1st June 2021

We are listening!

A few years back, Jack Jorgensen and his colleagues were driving back to Madison from the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance (WiRSA) Conference in Stevens Point when they had an epiphany.

Native Business Magazine • 6th May 2020

Tribal Construction Enterprises Cash In on Lucrative Federal Contracting

The United States government doles out $500 billion each year to buy the goods and services it needs to keep the country running smoothly. That’s a staggering amount of money enriching businesses fortunate enough to land these coveted contracts. And thanks to the Tribal 8(a) Program, Tribal enterprises can dip into the honeypot of federal contracting, too.

OC Family Magazine • 23rd February 2018

AWARD WINNER! The 'Other' Woman

Houston, we have a problem. Her name is Carolyn. Carolyn is my ex-husband’s girlfriend. They live together with her two pre-teens and most likely, they’ll marry. I’m OK with that part. You know what they say: “One woman’s junk is another woman’s treasure.”

Spectrum Magazine • 18th February 2018

Living Biracial

Every kid, every day, whatever it takes. That's Rainey Briggs' motto. Thirty-seven-year-old Briggs ... is the only African American male elementary school principal in the Madison area.

Wisconsin Center for Education Research • 8th June 2021

Re-Making the World of Education

Pancake-making robots. A mechanical horse. A life-sized mousetrap. No, these aren’t highlights from the latest episode of “Shark Tank.” But they are real-life inventions of a burgeoning community of artists, do-it-yourselfers and entrepreneurs known as “makers”...

Native Business Magazine • 7th February 2020

Angela Heikes, SMSC Gaming Enterprise CEO, Leads With Trust & Gratitude

Angela Heikes has been a sure bet for the Minnesota Indian gaming industry for nearly 25 years. In her current role as president and chief executive officer of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) Gaming Enterprise, she oversees the operations of Little Six Casino and Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, the second-largest hotel in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.

Native Business Magazine • 20th November 2018

High-Speed Internet Delivers the Makah Tribe Into the 21st Century

Most people can connect to high-speed internet anytime, almost anywhere. It is part of our everyday routine and keeps society moving at a fast clip. But according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), more than 60 percent of Americans on tribal lands lack access to high-speed internet service, defined by the FCC as a download speed of 25 megabits per second.

Indian Country Today • 28th February 2018

Indian Trail Trees: Hang a Left at Your Ancestral Roots

In 2002, a group of retired men began hiking together once a week in the Appalachian Mountains and started finding old, scenic trails they claimed nobody knew about.

Native Business Magazine • 27th June 2019

Meet Ed DesRosier, Founder of Sun Tours and Native Business Top 50 Entrepreneurs Honoree

In 2017, more than 12.5 million visitors to Montana spent nearly $3.4 billion. That’s music to Ed DesRosier’s ears. The Blackfeet Nation Tribal member has owned Sun Tours since 1992, after a rough start getting the sightseeing business off the ground.

Native Business Magazine • 2nd June 2021

Sioux Chef story

When you think of Native American cuisine, what comes to mind? Indian tacos? Buffalo burgers? Frybread? While beloved by many Natives and certainly tasty, these dishes are not the traditional foods of Indian country.

23rd February 2018

AWARD WINNER! Sorry Situation

Last week, my oldest daughter dropped a bombshell. She did not want to spend the night at her dad’s anymore because she doesn’t sleep well there. “It’s dark and cold” and her sister snores. To my great surprise, I was overcome with compassion for my ex.

OC Family Magazine • 21st February 2018

Sun-Kissed: Summer Ends and So Does My Daughter's Childhood

This summer, my daughter was kissed by the sun, by nature herself. Kisses of a different kind await my newly minted teenager in the summers ahead. Probably while I'm at work ... and not watching.

Wisconsin Center for Education Research • 8th June 2021

MSAN Gives Voice to Minority Students

Guery Ulunque has come a long way since he first landed in the United States from Bolivia with his father and sister in 2008. The now-18-year-old senior at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Va., recalls his struggles.