Historic Native Sites Boost Minnesota Job Growth

We think of the Dakota Nation as people living in North and South Dakota and Nebraska as Plains Indians, but this group of Native Americans once lived in Minnesota and Ohio after 10,000 years or more of migration eastward from the Pacific Northwest. As historical agents, this group brings increasing numbers of visitors to Woodbury, increasing the need for service businesses to meet their needs around the Minneapolis-St. Paul market area.

The town of Woodbury began as Red Rock to honor a sacred rock on the town's site, painted ceremonial red by Chief Little Crow of the Santee band of Dakotas around what became Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Woodbury. His original name was Tayoyateduta, meaning His Red Nation or His People are Red; thus, the red rock. The town was later renamed to honor a Supreme Court Judge, after another Red Rock, Minnesota was discovered.

Local Native American Businesses

• Ain Dah Yung Center Annual “Cherish the Children” Traditional Pow Wow
  Location: Central High School, 275 Lexington Ave., St. Paul MN; Mid-March. Contact: holly.henning@adycenter.org
• Annual U of M Spring Powwow. University of Minnesota Fiedhouse, 1800 University Avenue SE, Minneapolis MN. Contact: aiscc@umn.edu.
• Birchbark Books and Native Arts. 2115 W 21st St, Minneapolis MN 55405

• Indian Mounds Regional Park - Burial mounds used by the Hopewell and Dakota groups at 10 Mounds Blvd, St Paul MN 55106.

• Native Americans in Philanthropy. 2801 21st Ave S Ste 132c, Minneapolis MN 5540

• Prairie Island Tribal Council. 5636 Sturgeon Lake RdWelch MN 55089. This group offers jobs at its Treasure Island Casino and elsewhere in their community. Prairie Island Dakota Contest Powwow: www.facebook.com/PIICWacipiPowWow.

• Woodland Indian Crafts. 1530 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis MN 55404

Support of the Santee Sioux

The 20th century's Indian Education and Self-Determination Act of 1972 aided the Santee, particularly those who had fought willingly for the USA in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Some were code talkers in WWII, most of whom went unrecognized until 2013.

The 1972 act allows for control of the Santee band over their own internal affairs. It has been a long journey back and forth over the continent for them. During the years between 1862 and 1972, the lands purchased by America from the Santee became Minneapolis, St. Paul, and their suburb of Woodbury.

Interestingly, the Native American population of Woodbury is still around 5% or more and higher than in most other parts of the country.

White settlers arrived in the local area around 1844 from Germany and the Eastern US. Woodbury was founded as Red Rock to honor Chief Little Crow in 1858, until it became Woodbury in 1859. Additional settlers came from diverse Europe and Scandinavian countries.

The town originally enjoyed a thriving timber potential, but the land was cleared for farming. This produced crops of first wheat, then barley, corn, potatoes, and soybeans during and after the Civil War timeline. Post World War II, Woodbury advanced through technology and applied new methods of fertilization and crop rotation that increased production during the Cold War.

A housing development began in 1955 and Urban Development began in the 1960s, pushing out the farmer, where once the Santee Sioux of the Dakota had been pushed out 100 years before. It was ironic.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Urban Development and urban revitalization helped to draw additional residents and business concerns into an already growing suburb of Minneapolis. Sustainability is seen in a priority focus, especially for open and green spaces, the stewardship of natural resources, and alternative energy concerns taken on by local governments in the area. This is another turn of the circle, back to a more natural time enjoyed by the first inhabitants, but aided by 21st century technology.

The advancements have made Woodbury the 21st Best Place to Move in America for work, as named by Forbes.com.

Woodbury is a suburb located 12 miles west of Saint Paul MN, between I-94 (which extends from Ann Arbor/Detroit to Billings, Montana) and Minnesota State Route 10.

In Washington County, Woodbury is very near the major Twin Cities airport (see map below) and about 20 miles from the Mall of America.

Higher Education in Woodbury

• Globe University
• ITT Technical Institute

• Lake Elmo/Woodbury Campus of Rasmussen College: 8565 Eagle Point Cir, Lake Elmo, MN 55042

Largest Companies Advertising Jobs

1. 3M
2. Deloitte
3. HealthEast Care System
4. Fairview Health Services
5. Thomson Reuters news agency
6. Saint Paul Public Schools
7. University of Minnesota
8. Trucking companies: C.R. England, USA Truck, Swift Transportation
9. Boston Scientific Corporation
10. Dart public transportation systems

Top 10 Job Openings in Woodbury

1. IT Engineers
2. RN-licensed Nurses and Nurse Practitioners/Physician Assistants
3. Project Managers
4. Truck Drivers
5. Financial Analysts, Business Systems Analysts
6. Physical Therapists
7. Nursing Assistants
8. Managers and Assistant Managers, especially in sales occupations
9. Automotive Service Salespeople
10. IT Technicians and Support Staff

Fastest Growing Jobs to 2024

Information Technology (IT) jobs are expected to increase most, with Healthcare positions coming in second place.

1. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
2. Computer Applications and Systems Software Engineers
3. Social Service Specialists
4. Dental Hygienists, Dental Assistants
5. Registered Nurses (RNs)
6. Sales Representatives
7. Computer Systems Analysts
8. Industrial Engineers
9. Financial Analysts
10. Database Administrators
11. Network and Computer Systems Administrators
12. Radiologic Technicians