Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

Young inspiring entrepreneurs had a chance to show off their stuff last week by putting their ideas on display and getting a look at those ideas at work. The Akwesasne Child and Family Services of Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the Office of Economic Development and the Akwesasne Chamber of Commerce held a Youth Business Fair at the St. Regis Mohawk School in Hogansburg. There were novice businessmen and women as well as established owners, and some put their hobbies and crafts skills to use.

There were beading booths, a new business that produced trinkets out of rubber bands, specialty popcorn, candy, several artists, and there was a chance to meet prospective babysitters.

Also at the Youth Fair in the St, Regis Mohawk School Gymnasium were Power Wheels, set up and run by Akwesasne Mohawk Police and St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police. When that was finished there were several inflatable jumphouses. There was also a face-painting booth that was very popular.

Before the actual Youth Fair event, a series of workshops were held and the would-be businessmen and women were put through different areas of the business world.

Sabastian Anderson – owner of Sabastians Popcorn on State Road puts together another batch of complimentary popcorn for the visitors.

The kids had their own ideas already on what kind of business they wanted to run, and others already had an enterprise going. These workshops were for them as well to enhance their business.

Part of owning and selling a business is presentation and Coleen Nolan of the Akwesasne Resource Center helped out the kids polishing up their sales presentation. She also held exercises to make them more relaxed in dealing with clients.

"We went in a circle and had the kids talk about themselves, we had them write out (their business idea), I was impressed in what they had in a short amount of time," said Nolan.

Other presentations at these workshops were Bea Johnson of A.A.M.B., Niio Perkins showed the kids how to set up their booth and manage it, and Casey Swamp of Swamps Performance loaned his expertise in Finance Management.

Future workshops are being planned for these young business owners to learn more about the trade or for new ones who attended the Youth Fair.