S moke S ignals
april 15, 2014
MERIT trains people to start own enterprises
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
“How amazing a field of lavender
looks,” says Pamela Larsen, proud
new owner, with her husband Ken-
ny, of Larsen’s Lavender and Bees
located on their eight-acre property
on Grand Ronde Road.
“It’s a beautiful sight,” she says.
“It makes your heart feel the suc-
cess.”
The Larsens completed a class
called Indianpreneurship, a 10-
week presentation of information
on how to start a successful Indian-
owned small business. The program
recently completed its third year in
Grand Ronde.
Salem-based MERIT, or Micro-
Enterprise Resources, Initiatives
and Training, uses a curriculum
from the Oregon Native American
Business and Entrepreneurial
Network, a Portland-based Indian
non-profit providing cultural-spe-
cific business education and net-
working. The Grand Ronde Tribe
was instrumental in the formation
of ONABEN.
The class shares strategies for
creating a business plan with op-
tions for funding.
“We teach the bootstrap method,”
says MERIT Program Coordinator
Mona Edwards, meaning, “Start-
ing a business without incurring
debt.”
Actions that spell success for
those participating in the program,
Edwards adds, include staying on
task, continuing to move forward
and doing necessary research. One
example of research is understand-
ing the target market.
Among all of the Tribal and com-
munity members who have taken
the class – about 10 each year
– many from the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde, the local
community and the Confederated
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Pamela and Kenny Larsen recently started their business, Larsen’s Lavender
and Bees in Grand Ronde, after completing the Indianpreneurship class.
Tribes of Siletz have started a busi-
ness. Some four from the Grand
Ronde Tribe and a couple more
from the community and Siletz are
still operating the businesses they
started.
However, says Edwards, “Some-
times individuals get the informa-
tion and don’t act on it for a couple
years. It’s hard to know how many
get started unless they contact us
again.”
One of those to start a business,
inspired by the session this year,
was Larsen, who “unofficially”
opened the doors to her new busi-
ness in February.
“In June,” she says, “we’ll start
hitting the farmer’s markets. We’re
going to try to get our name on
the list of vendors for the monthly
market for Tribal members at the
casino. We’ll be talking to Greg
Azure at TERO to see what else we
can get involved in.”
Their products, made with laven-
der and bee honey, include natural
Indianpreneurship
Submitted photo
An Indianpreneurship class graduated in Grand Ronde on March
12. MERIT, a micro-enterprise development organization in Salem,
partners with the Grand Ronde Tribe to bring classes to Tribal and
community members regarding how to start their own business.
“Indianpreneurship: A Native American Journey into Businsses”
was used as the curriculum. It was developed by the Oregon Native
American Business and Entrepreneurial Network. Fourteen people
attended the 10-week class that began Jan. 8 and ended on March
12. Those graduating were, back row (from left), Sarah Porter, Robert
Porter, Kara Langley, Tyler Martin, Kenneth Larsen, Cory Meneley,
David Garren, Christopher Bailey, Brayden Langley, Elisha Porter and
facilitator Kinji Neskahi; and front row (from left), Donn Grishaber,
Bryan Langley, Pamela Larsen, Marie Fleming and Khani Schultz.
soaps, body butters, bath products
and other similar luxuries.
The Larsens were fixing up their
eight-acre home on Grand Ronde
Road, the old Tribal Community
Center, before the class. Many
other things came together that
contributed to the decision to get
started.
“We have a lot of lavender,” she
says. “I like natural soaps. We’re
pretty crafty. I will retire in five
years. Kenny is already semi-retired.
We’re hoping for a little business in
retirement. I love lavender. It’s a new
market. We might as well try to jump
in on it. It’s been a slow jump.”
Their revving up plans included
planting 144 lavender bushes, four
varieties, this spring. “These will be
the mother plants,” Pamela says.
Kenny has built a greenhouse
for them. “He helps me with the
heavy stuff,” she says. “He makes
the raised beds. He’s handy with
wood. He makes the molds for
the soaps.” He also attended the
MERIT classes with Pamela.
Their goal is to plant five acres,
maybe 10,000 plants, in the years
ahead.
“We started with bees last year,
and started thinking about making
bees and lavender a business then.
What the heck; why not?” Pamela
says.
In the future, the business plan
calls for six hives.
Three other members of this
year’s class were Bryan Langley,
and two of his children – Brayden
and Kara – along with a community
friend and his daughter.
As reported in the March 1 is-
sue of Smoke Signals, Bryan and
Brayden started iCallElk, an elk-
focused business. Kara came along
looking for general knowledge
about business.
“Hopefully,” Bryan says, “she will
be able to use the information in
the future.”
Bryan says the timing was per-
fect. He didn’t know much of what
he was to learn in the class. “It was
a very helpful class with business
structures, financing, cash flow and
income statements – all the things
that go with running the business.
I thought it was a very good class,”
he says.
“There were guest speakers one
night. It was good to hear people
who have been through the process,
who started out really small and
grew their business over time.”
Others in the class were also use-
ful to the Larsens. “Everybody had
a different business,” says Pamela.
“Having a group there opened your
eyes to a lot of things you wouldn’t
have even thought about.”
And the instructors were top
notch as far as the Larsens were
concerned. “Mona and Kinji (Nes-
kahi, with a heritage of San Juan
Pueblo and Navajo Tribes) were
wonderful and always there for
you,” Pamela says. Neskahi was
facilitator and co-teacher.
MERIT teaches about 50 classes
a year. The cost of putting on the
classes depends on the program.
In Grand Ronde, the program
cost $20,000. Funding for MERIT
comes from government grants,
foundations and corporations.
Spirit Mountain Community Fund
contributed $15,000 in 2011 and
$7,000 in 2013. For this year’s class,
the Tribal Education Department
also contributed.
The program has 10 weekly
2.5-hour classes plus online time
through the MERIT program. Stu-
dents use the online time to ask
questions about homework, conduct
research and seek direction.
“Startups range from services to
products to arts and crafts,” Ed-
wards says.
“We’re just starting to rock and
roll on this,” says Pamela. n
Mothers of Tradition
training set for May
The White Bison Mothers of Tradition training is returning to
the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde on May 20-22 at the Com-
munity Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road.
The training’s purpose is to increase awareness of how intergen-
erational trauma interrupted the culture, language, family ties and
parenting practices among Native peoples.
Participants will learn how to apply cultural teachings to bring
healing to children and relationships.
The training is free, but people must register to attend. Partici-
pants must make a three-day commitment and attend from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. For more information or to register, contact Alcohol and
Drug Counselor Karan Scharf at 503-879-2029. The training is
sponsored by the Tribe’s Behavioral Health Program and funded
by a Meth and Suicide Prevention Initiative grant. n