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Sarah Hamilton is a small busines owner in Cook County and like most—if not all—small business owners, she is often short on help when she needs it the most.
Hamilton, the owner of Trail Center on the Gunflint Trail, has also spent the last few years working to improve the lives of the Lakota people who live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The unemployment rate in Pine Ridge is hovering around 80 percent; in 2005 the Department of Interior listed the unemployment rate at 89 percent, which means there are a lot of folks living there who need jobs. The per capita income for Native Americans living on Pine Ridge is $8,768. Of the 3,143 counties in the U.S., Oglala Lakota County which is contained entirely within the boundaries of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, ranks as the poorest county in the country.
Putting two and two together, Hamilton realized that both Cook County employers and young people from Pine Ridge could each benefit if the two could join forces.
With that, Hamilton began working with an organization called One Spirit to develop work programs in Cook County for young people from Pine Ridge. Today a website is up and running for employers who can add content about job openings and post it on the website. While the website is still being worked on, it is now open. If you are looking for information and details about the program, check out the website and feel free to contact onespiritemployment.com.
The One Spirit website is very user friendly. The types of jobs advertised include lodging, front and back of the house restaurant work, retail-gift shop, recreation facilities, hospital work etc.
The mission of One Spirit is to “help two groups of people: Employers of Cook County and young adults from Pine Ridge.
The intention of the program is to put people together in a program that will provide benefits to both: seasonal employers in a region where jobseekers are anything but plentiful paired with young people from Pine Ridge Reservation where unemployment is consistently around 80 percent.
Given how Cook County and Pine Ridge are separated by 664 miles, One Spirit will offer transportation support and organize activities to help the employees engage in activities, workshops and classes they may have interest in.
We hope this will give these young adults opportunities to earn money and to have an adventure while learning important skills. Skills they will be able to use to help better the economy on the Pine Ridge reservation.
The One Spirit employment program won’t be hiring or selecting candidates, but they will help employers find employees and vice versus.
Putting this program together is One Spirit, Trail Center Lodge, Visit Cook County, The Cook County Chamber of Commerce, Prosperity North, Sing Horse Trading Post, The Grand Marais YMCA, Grand Marais Public Library and the Allen Youth Center.
To learn more go to onespiritemployment.com.
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