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.
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.
