ABOUT CREATOR'S PLACE
Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place is a Native-led employment social enterprise and on-the-job training center rooted in the small tribal village of Pine Point, within the White Earth Nation in northern Minnesota. We provide paid, hands-on job training, and creative opportunities for adults in our community—especially those who face barriers to traditional employment. We partner with the White Earth Maadaadizi Workforce Center which provides daily employee support and reimburses trainee wages through a Quality Jobs, Equity, Strategy and Training (QUEST) Grant.
Whether the artisans are creating traditional hand-beaded jewelry, using the laser to create custom burial stones, using the 3-d printer to create original creature sculptures, designing memorial shirts, packaging manoomin (wild rice) or building storage sheds, everything we do is about strengthening culture, building skills, and creating paths to greater economic security. At the heart of it all is our belief that tradition and innovation go hand in hand—and that by working together, we can shape a stronger future for the next generations.
Watch This PBS YouTube video for more info.
History
Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place began with a simple idea: that even in a small, remote village like Pine Point, there could be a place where people come together to work, learn, and create. Located many miles from the nearest town, Pine Point had long suffered from a lack of local job opportunities.
In 2021, a group of community members—led by longtime educator and organizer Jean Kruft—came together to change that. They founded a Native-led employment social enterprise rooted in cultural knowledge, economic opportunity, and community resilience. The name Bam’idizowigamig, meaning “a place to support oneself” in Ojibwe, reflects a mission to create paths toward greater stability and self-sufficiency. What began with a few part-time jobs and a strong sense of purpose has grown into a vibrant center for food production, traditional arts, publishing, and skills training. Our story is one of determination, creativity, and deep love for our people and ways of life.
Pine Point Community
Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place is located in the small reservation village of Pine Point., MN. Pine Point is located at the remote South-East corner of the White Earth Nation. It is a 30 minute drive to the nearest center of employment. Even though there have always been many skilled artisans in the village, there was nowhere to sell their work. The poverty rate in Pine Point is close to 70% , with a per-capita income of $7,485.00. The crime rate is 50% higher than the national average. Drug and alcohol abuse negatively impacts the community every single day and has resulted in many many deaths. But Pine Point is also home to a fine community of people, many of whom are related, and who care deeply for one another and the land to which they belong.
Vision
Our vision is that Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place will be a place of positive hope within the community. A place that allows people to have access to job training and support for overcoming barriers to accessing meaningful and sustaining work in or out of the Pine Point Community.
Board of Directors
In order to better serve the Pine Point community, Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place has a board of directors equipped with literally hundreds of combined years of experience in business, woodworking, sales, education, corrections, psychology, cross-cultural understanding, historical trauma and Anishinaabe heritage and history.
Left to Right: JoAyne Judson, Sara Forsberg, Pam Fairbanks, Amy Thompson, Trulo Adams, Jean Kruft, Evelyn Bellanger, Butch Smith. Not Pictured is Pete Ellis and Bud Parker