Board of Directors
In order to better serve the Pine Point community, Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place has a board of directors equipped with literally hundreds of combined years of experience in business, woodworking, sales, education, corrections, psychology, cross-cultural understanding, historical trauma and Anishinaabe heritage and history.
Jean Kruft chairs the Creator’s Place board. She has an undergraduate degree in Cultural Anthropology and a Master’s degree in Education. Jean retired a couple of years ago, but has been a teacher, administrator and education consultant. She has owned her own retail business and has done woodworking as a hobby for over 40 years. Jean has a strong desire to do what she can to provide hope, encouragement and support to her neighbors in the Point Point area.
Evelyn Bellanger, of Pine Point, Minn., is an enrolled member of the White Earth Ojibwe Nation. She has been an environmental activist supporting stopping DAPL (Standing Rock), Line 3, a board member of The Rights of Manoomin (Wild Rice) committee and on the Board of Directors of the Niibi Center (water). She has been a Historical Trauma consultant and holds a master’s degree in Tribal Administration & Governance. She has written educational articles published in the White Earth tribal newspaper (the Anishinnabeg Today), Environmental Working Group (EWG) Pineland Sands, Voices Rising and currently working on her memoir. She is committed to helping her people.
Sara Forsberg is a retired educator and published author of Diamonds in the Garbage. Teaching adults in
Parenting Through Divorce classes, being a speaker and trainer for Stonecroft Ministry as well as a past
member of the Park Rapids Library Board and five years in jail ministry have all been fulfilling.
Currently her interests include volunteering, spending time with family and friends and going on walks
with her dog, Sam. Sara lives with her husband, Frank, on a small lake in the Park Rapids area.