Top 15 Jobs Around Little Crow's Red Rock - Woodbury, MN

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.

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.

Little Crow was Chief of the Santee band of Eastern Dakotas, taking over from his father, Charging Hawk. The new chief led the Sioux Uprising of 1862 in protest of unreceived trust payments and supplies due his people under a treaty with the US federal government. Having learned to read and write English and to wear the clothing of the Euro-Americans, as needed, Little Crow made enemies on both sides. However, he signed his original signature on the Treaty of 1851 with the US to reiterate that he represented the "red people."

The US paid money for Dakota lands in Minnesota under the Treaty of 1851, but gave the money to local traders to hold in "trust" and from which to make annuity payments to the unhappy tribe. The Dakotas saw little of the money and were forced in a dozen years to move westward to where they live today under a new agreement with the USA.

Little Crow was scalped by a white man as he was picking berries with his son in 1863. His scalp and skull went to the local historical society after the scalper was paid a $500 bounty put on Little Crow's head for leading the Sioux uprising. The chief's remains were not received and able to be buried by the family until 1971, over 100 years later.

The Santee were moved to Nebraska about 8 miles from Crow Creek in 1863, but disease and starvation there reduced the band from large numbers down to a mere 1,000. The Santee were moved again, to a point lower on the Missouri River and were permitted to become more self-sufficient by the USA. Here, there were able to farm and produce timber. Some lands were sold to non-native famers, however, land ownership struggles continued to the 20th Century's Indian Education and Self-Determination Act of 1972. This act allows for some cotrol of the Santee band over their own internal affairs. It has been a long journey back and forth over the continent for the Santee Sioux.

At the same time, the lands purchased by the US became Minneapolis, St. Paul and their suburb of Woodbury. Interestingly, the Native American poplation of the town is still around 5% or more, higher than in other parts of the country. Woodbury enjoys 8 lakes, 3,000 acres of park lands, and a population of over 58,500 in 2009, up from over 46,000 in the US 2000 Census. The city is on the list of the Best 25 Places to Move for work in America, named by Forbes.com in 2009.

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 int he 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 caused Woodbury to boom into 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 Washongton County, it is very near the major Twin Cities airport (see map below) and about 20 miles from the Mall of America.

1. Merchandising Representatives
2. Physical Therapists
3. Assistant Managers
4. Teachers for preschool/day care
5. Sales Managers & Reps
6. Sales Associates/Salespersons
7. Physician Assistants
8. Tax Professionals and Tax Preparers
9. Project Managers
10. Customer Service Reps
11. Marketing Managers
12. Business Systems Analysts
13. IT Professionals
14. Independent Beauty Consultants
15. Human Resources Managers

1. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts - IT
2. Computer Applications Software Engineers - IT
3. Social Service Specialists
4. Computer Systems Software Engineers - IT
5. Dental Hygienists - Health
6. Dental Assistants - Health
7. Registered Nurses (RNs) - Health
8. Sales Representatives
9. Computer Systems Analysts - IT
10. Industrial Engineers
11. Financial Analysts
12. Database Administrators - IT
13. Network and Computer Systems Administrators - IT
14. Radiologic Techs - Health
15. Managers of Property, Real Estate & Community Associations

The above job titles presented in bold type match the actual job listings found during Summer 2009. and will likely remain in high demand through 2012.

[Concidentally, if you stand back, the edges of the above list resemble the outline of the State of Minnesota.]