First private bank on the rez
Belcourt's first bank is also first privately-owned American Indian bank in U.S.History was made as a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony was held for Turtle Mountain State Bank in Belcourt on Thursday with the help of Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Gov. John Hoeven and many other business and community leaders.
The bank is the first American Indian-owned bank in the state and the first privately-owned American Indian bank in the United States to be located on a federally-recognized Indian Reservation. It is also the third bank in Rolette County and the only local bank in Belcourt..jpg&Width=285)
13 comments:
Writerfella here --
Of course, no one recalls the Kiowa Bank of Oklahoma or even Kiowa Aviation, Inc., which were founded by and quickly ridden off into the sunset by the then-Kiowa Business Committee Chairman, J. T. Goombi, in the mid-1990s. Millions of dollars in tribal funds vanished and that now-former Chairman last was seen blithely selling used cars in Grady County, Oklahoma...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Was the Kiowa Bank a private bank? Was it located on the Kiowa reservation? Do the Kiowas even have a reservation?
Writerfella here --
Of course it was a private bank. And this part of Oklahoma once was the Wichita, Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache reservation until early in the 20th Century. writerfella's phone bill costs him $1 a month because this land once was his reservation. The question then becomes, do you have a reservation, Rob?
All Best
Ruiss Bates
'writerfella'
If the Kiowas no longer have a reservation, then the Kiowa Bank wasn't located on a rez. Which explains why people are calling the Turtle Mountain bank a first.
I presume your final question is rhetorical, since you already know the answer.
Writerfella here --
Yes, indeed, you're waiting in line outside the restaurant of real life but you're very much hopeful that you'll get seated...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Thanks for explaining your obscure reference. Of course, if you could write better, an explanation wouldn't be necessary.
While I was "outside the restaurant of real life," I managed to publish one book, two comic books, and 400-plus articles. Which is more writing than you've had published, I'll bet. Maybe you should join me "outside" rather than sitting on your butt commenting on blogs because you have nothing better to do.
Writerfella here --
writerfella quite is happy where he is because the bibliography of Russell Bates contains 36 (soon to become 44) short stories published (one, "Rite Of Encounter" has been reprinted 25 times), 3 teleplays published, 15 teleplays sold and six produced (soon to be seven!), 24 articles written and co-written and published nationally and internationally, four daily/weekly columns published in newspapers and magazines, one internet STAR TREK comic book (soon to be three!), three Hugo and two Nebula nominations, one Emmy Award, one Newberry Medal, one Peabody Award, one Robby Award, one Melies Prize, one Golden Palm from the International TV Film Festival of Monte Carlo, and two TV episodes released on DVD. In work are four new short stories, a novelization of ANASAZI The Screenplay, two compendia -- THE NOVAMUNDIAN BESTIARY: Mythic Creatures of The New World by Russell Bates and Nikolaj Sucik -- THE 35MM MENAGERIE: Cryptid Origins of Science Fiction Monster Films by Russell Bates and Nikolaj Sucik -- one short story collection I HAVE LOOKED INTO THE WHIRLWIND by Russell Bates and one anthology edited by Russell Bates, HORSEMAN, STARMAN: The Native American In Science Fiction. The "three foot bookshelf" of works by Russell Bates was surpassed in 2002 and now is eight inches into Shelf Two. writerfella works late at night sitting on his butt writing new works and unwinds afterward by posting on this blog because he believes purposefully bombastic obfuscation never should go unchallenged or unmet...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Writerfella here --
POSTSCRIPTUM: oops, writerfella forgot that his Native short story "Rite Of Encounter" will be made as an independent short film in 2008, with options placed on two other writerfella properties by the same filmmaker: "The Owls Sang At Day's End" and a stand-alone segment of the screenplay "Run Before The Buffalo." Soon to follow will be stand-alone segments of ANASAZI The Screenplay and Act Two of "The Piasa Bird" from KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
That's nice. So you've published only 80-some pieces of writing by your own admission. I've published 400-some pieces of writing, all vetted and approved by professional editors. That's roughly five times as much as you have. And that tally doesn't include the 1,800-plus pages on BlueCornComics.com, the 160-plus issues of Indian Comics Irregular, the 3,100-plus blog entries in Newspaper Rock, etc. Or the many projects I have in various stages of completion. Moreover, I'm almost 20 years younger than you, with that much more of my career ahead of me.
So I was correct when I said I've published more writing than you have--far more. Readers can draw their own conclusions about what that means.
Now that you've wasted our time talking about yourself again, do you have anything else to say about the "first private bank on the rez"?
Writerfella here --
Ah, yes, but NONE of writerfella's writings were self-published or published pro bono. Even his unproduced screenplays (only one of which is mentioned in the above because it already is contracted to be sold) made money during their optioned submission stages. About the only writerfella products that earned him no income were op-ed pieces for newspapers and magazines. Now, if Rob earned enough from his writings that he NEVER has had to hold any other forms of employment, as writerfella has, then there might be some concessions possible. Somehow, that point remains to be made...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Writerfella here --
Since this blog posting is about to be shunted off into archive oblivion, this best be said fast:
Boy, aren't we lucky that Rob wasn't talking about himself in his last two posts above! It's not often that those such as he will admit to having an evil twin...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
You wrote 316 words (excluding salutations) in two messages to tout your own accomplishments. I wrote 141 words in response to rebut your claims. That suggests the relative size of our egos.
The 400 figure doesn't include anything I've self-published. It does include some articles I've published pro bono. But as I said, those articles were vetted and approved by professional editors. Any writer would list them on his or her resumé.
For the sake of argument, let's say the number of pro bono articles is 80 (although I think it's fewer). I've published and been paid for some 320 pieces of writing, all vetted and approved by professional editors. That's roughly four times as much as you have. Many of these were published in magazines with five- or six-figure circulations, which beats your publications in obscure literary journals.
I've basically earned my living as a freelance writer since I became one in 1993. (Before then I was a computer programmer.) So in 15 years I've been paid for four times as many pieces of writing as you have in, what, 50 years? In the next 35 years the gap will only widen.
And let's not forget the overriding point. This whole exchange came about after your gratuitous and fatuous insult:
"Yes, indeed, you're waiting in line outside the restaurant of real life but you're very much hopeful that you'll get seated..."
Which is why you're getting a well-deserved reputation for doing nothing but attacking your intellectual superiors. To me you sound like a bitter old man who's jealous because I'm doing something you can't grasp. Namely, writing about the many connections between Native America and pop culture. And earning an audience for it.
Bottom line: When you say something stupid, expect to see your stupidity rebutted. If you don't like it, don't say anything stupid. It's just that simple.
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