Marlene Blackorbay, a Bad River Chippewa woman who co-founded one of today's largest Indian-owned businesses, died May 21 in Wisconsin. She was 70.

Blackorbay was part of the federal government's relocation program in the 1950s. She went to Los Angeles, got married and soon moved back home to Wisconsin.

After another move to Minnesota, she founded Chippewa Graphics with her husband. The company, still run by the couple's sons, makes $7 million in sales a year, said Randy Blackorbay. She is hailed as one of the pioneers for minority-owned businesses.

Get the Story:
Marlene Blackorbay, Indian entrepreneur (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 6/4)
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Relevant Links:
Chippewa Graphics - http://www.chippewagraphics.com