Economic Summit explores challenges, opportunities and business relationships
By Edna Sailor
Challenges that evolve almost daily in the Bakken Oil play of western North Dakota hold many unknowns. This fact is surely true for Missouri River Resources, the Three Affiliated Tribes’ oil company. No one knows that better than Dave Williams, President and CEO of MRR. He is convinced that success for the company and its role on behalf of the people of Fort Berthold will depend on "dialogue and partnership building." Williams expressed those sentiments at the 6th Annual Indigenous Nations Economic Summit to that group this week.
Williams said, "The theme this year is partnerships. In the spirit of partnership we look forward to having everyone come to the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and create partnerships that will hopefully last for years and decades into the future as we grow as a people. I believe our focus in the past few years has been to educate our youth, elders and membership on the critical issues of the Bakken oil play."
Noting that the state of North Dakota has "reached a milestone of one million barrels per day and that in the next 6 to 7 years that figure may well reach 2 million barrels" Williams told Summit attendees, "We as a people need to get a firm handle on this future progress and work together in unity to solve problems that come with this development and manage the benefits those resources bring. The only way to do that is to have strong relationships with each other from our elders to the Tribal Council and our kids, while at the same time create lasting partnerships with people off the reservation including other tribes. This is not an easy task, but with hard work, dialogue and cooperation among those directly involved we can make this a better place for future generations."
