It is February 19, 2024. Today, MLCV and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe take pride in our history of cultural preservation, resiliency, and good leadership. It is Chief’s Day. A day we celebrate Native leaders who have led entire communities through adversity and into success. On this Chief’s Day, we want to pay special homage to the visionary leadership of Arthur (Art) Gahbow. Art’s influence is the heart and soul of MLCV’s founding story.
Imagine this: It’s 1980, and the Mille Lacs Band is facing an economic depression challenging its sovereign status. The community holds on to its deeply rooted Ojibwe heritage with perseverance. Art Gahbow, Chairman and Chief Executive at the time, is fueled with the wisdom of his Elders and steps up, determined to strengthen and secure a future filled with promise, hope, and unity.
Art’s commitment to the well-being of the Mille Lacs Band is chronicled through his many accomplishments. In 1975, Art responded to racial and cultural obstacles children faced in public schools by creating a safe learning environment on Reservation land – a Bureau Contract School, which became known as Nay-Ah-Shing School in 1978. In this Ojibwe cultural center, youth are celebrated for who they are.
In 1980, Art, along with Doug Sam, Leonard Sam, and Henry Davis, saw a positive outlook in restructuring the Band to distribute the power. They initiated a shift from a single-council Reservations Business Committee to a three-branch division of powers form of government through the development of the Band Assembly, the Band’s Court of Central Jurisdiction, and the establishment of Commissioners. This transition ensured the community would remain stable, placing treaty rights at the forefront. This change in government was a step toward more robust self-governance. Thus was the Band’s establishment of the Corporate Commission – a business entity to make crucial business decisions for the Band, separate from politics. In 2014, the Corporate Commission became known as Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures (MLCV), which exists today as a powerhouse of diverse enterprises boosting the economy and enriching the community.
Art’s legacy is more than a leader. As Chief Executive, he was a catalyst in safeguarding the Mille Lacs Band and changing the trajectory of the community toward growth and prosperity. Without Art, MLCV may not exist. MLCV wears this story as a badge of honor, putting the Mille Lacs Band community first in each business decision, just as Art taught us.
Join us this Chief’s Day as we celebrate the pivotal leaders who serve as the heart and soul of their Tribes, just as Art did for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
This article was written by Hannah Torkelson, MLCV’s Senior Communications Strategist. Hannah is a storyteller responsible for executing internal and external MLCV communications and capturing impactful moments within MLCV’s portfolio.