‘Some people are just looking for that first chance’

Whitebird Services, based in Cloquet, MN, is a Native American- and Veteran-owned pipeline service company. Whitebird was recently contracted by Enbridge for right-of-way restoration services on the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation, employing Tribal members in the process. “This is my home. I take great pride in the work we do out here restoring the land,” says Clayton, an environmental foreman with Whitebird. “This (work) could be life-changing for some. You don’t know where it could take you,” adds James, a straw boss with Whitebird. Company president Tom, an FDL Tribal Elder, is proud of the workforce “I look around and I see all these Natives working for me now. They’re really doing a good job. That makes me feel good,” he says. “That’s what I was looking for—respect for my Native people who are doing this work.”