WELCH, Minn. – Turtle Island Communications Inc. has been selected as the 2008 Minnesota Indian Business Conference Indian Entrepreneur of the Year. Owners Madonna Peltier Yawakie, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, and Melvin Yawakie, Zuni Pueblo, fully embody the spirit of Indian entrepreneurship the award honors. The award criteria require that the business be owned by an American Indian either living in or actively conducting business with tribal nations.
The award will be presented at 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at Treasure Island Resort and Casino, during the Minnesota Indian Business Conference & Showcase reception in the Tinta Wita room. President Ron Johnson, Prairie Island Indian Community, will open the reception with welcoming remarks.
TICOM is an Indian-owned telecommunication engineering and technical consulting company specializing in project management, telecom infrastructure analysis, wireline and wireless system design, acquisition, and regulatory and financial services that support project development.
The owners together have more than 34 years’ experience in the telecommunication field and the technical knowledge and expertise to create solutions for tribes interested in improving telecommunication services throughout their land areas. Madonna Peltier Yawakie earned a master’s degree in community and regional planning and a bachelor of science in business administration from North Dakota State University. Melvin Yawakie, an electrical engineer, earned a bachelor of science in electrical and electronics engineering from North Dakota
State University.
TICOM works in partnership with tribal nations to ensure that the tribal jurisdiction and the long-term health of its community and citizens is upheld. TICOM is keenly aware of the lack of service parity on tribal lands, which continues to be the motivational force behind the growing business. TICOM works to help build the foundation for basic infrastructure to serve residents living within the tribal land base, and to take economic development to the next level and spur other types of business opportunities. Its ultimate goal and expertise is to move tribes into becoming regulators and owners of their own telecommunication services.
TICOM is committed to partnering with skilled, talented tribal members who are committed to the project and know how to make good things happen in their communities. It endeavors to build trust and long-lasting relationships with the tribal communities they serve.
TICOM is being recognized for the professional services and resources it brings to its projects and for its commitment to making a positive impact on the ongoing digital divide within tribal nations. To learn more about TICOM, visit www.turtleislandcom.com.
For more information about the Conference, contact Pamela Standing at (218) 847-9554 or pamelastanding@msn.com, or visit www.umdced.com/mnibc.html.
