April 14, 2016

 

 

 

Contacts:

AJ Otjen, College of Business, 657-2908
Carmen Price, University Communications and Marketing, 657-2266
Story by Blair Koch, University Communications and Marketing intern

 

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES 鈥� The American Indian Business Leaders team of 顶级国产视频 brought home the national championship last week, and while the trio鈥檚 business venture is just beginning, it鈥檚 the sixth national championship won by 顶级国产视频鈥檚 AIBL.

 

The competition鈥檚 platform encourages business and marketing students to identify culturally significant business plans to boost the economies of American Indian reservations.

 

The student organization, consisting of the team鈥檚 president Bessie Crooked Arm, 21, Sabrina Half, 23, and Violet Birdinground, 21, presented a business plan for the children鈥檚 book they produced, 鈥淟ily Good Path Becomes the Buffalo,鈥� during a conference in Phoenix, Ariz. on April 8 and 9. They competed against AIBL clubs with universities from Alaska to Colorado. 

 

Their company is called Bakaate, meaning 鈥渃hildren,鈥� in the Apsaalooke (Crow) language. 

 

Professor of marketing and the AIBL advisor Dr. AJ Otjen, who created the watercolor illustrations featured in the book, said competition judges noted 鈥渢hey really appreciated that (the team) always paused and consulted each other on every question before answering. It was obvious that they worked as a team.鈥�

 

Lily Good Path Becomes the Buffalo combines Indian folklore from many tribal heritages. Although all of the women on the team are Crow Tribal Members, they wanted a story that would resonate for everyone and fit their company鈥檚 mission statement: To inspire and empower youth by taking care of mother earth and respecting all American Indian cultures. 

 

The story is based on the Native American lore of The Great Flood from the Yellowstone and The White Face Bear from the Aleuts Tribe.

 

The book鈥檚 title is named after Crooked Arm鈥檚 Indian name, Good Path, bestowed upon her when she was 3 by her great-grandmother.

The overarching message of the book, and the two sequels already slated for production, is in being good stewards of the Earth and creatures around us. 

 

Writing the short stories, filled with vibrant drawings and colorful watercolor paintings, may have been the easy part. 

The AIBL team took a year to fundraise, plan and execute their company, which even has a place for spinning off plush toys and costumes made from natural fibers and earth-friendly packaging. 

 

鈥淲e plan on selling those in year two,鈥� said Half. 

 

However, their real target market is education and they would really like to see the book placed in elementary school curriculums and on bookshelves.

 

鈥淢y mom is a fourth-grade teacher and her kids just loved the story,鈥� said Half. 鈥淭hat was some really great feedback.鈥�

 

For now, they are excited to have an online presence that is quickly growing. A page started weeks ago has already garnered more than 600 likes. 

 

Otjen said she isn鈥檛 surprised by the positive response. 

 

鈥淎t first I was a bit of a mother hen, but soon the group was telling me what to do,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey are so much better with Facebook, websites, uploading the e-book and coming up with ideas for promoting it. 

 

鈥淏ut the most important thing is that they really took ownership of the value and authenticity of the book and character. It鈥檚 their world and I am just lucky to be included in the process.鈥�

 

For more information about Bakaate, visit