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Groundbreaking Ceremony held for new Red Lake Nation Radio Facility, WRLN - P3

RED LAKE, MN - A Groundbreaking Ceremony was held for new Red Lake Nation Radio facility at 11 AM on Wednesday, August 4, 2021.

This new Red Lake Tribal radio station, WRLN 105.3 FM, which some say took over 20 years to fully develop, is expected to be live and operational by early 2022, and will employ about 30-40 people.

The facility will be constructed in Red Lake across the street from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office Building, where the old Red Lake Police Department and Jail once was back in the 1970s.

Kelly Iceman Sr. did the invocation, followed by an honor song by the Little Bear Drum Group.

Speakers included Jerry Loud and Eugene Standing Cloud from Oshkiimaajitahdah, Red Lake Chairman Darrell Seki Sr,, Secretary Sam Strong, and Treasurer Annette Johnson.

More information will be published on this story in the future. Red Lake is also exploring the possibilities of a television station, as well.

See also, Red Lake Nation Breaks Ground on New Radio Station:

Today in Red Lake, the community gathered to witness the groundbreaking of a new radio station planned for the area.

The idea for a radio station in Red Lake began in the mid-1990s. Since then, there have been two attempts to make the station happen, and now the final pieces are coming together.

The station will be a place for entertainment but it will also be informational, with Red Lake Nation Chairman Darrell Seki, Sr. saying it will broadcast all initiatives and issues that go on in the reservation. COVID-19 in particular revealed a gap in communication for the Red Lake Nation.

"Trying to communicate our story and our information to the surround communities," said Jerry Loud, Oshkiimaajitahdah Executive Director. "It's one of the things that we're going to do with this radio station is to bridge the communities."

Another benefit of the station will be bringing new jobs to the area. Once built, it's hoped it will be a resource for all of Red Lake, but specifically for the young people.

They hope to open the station by the end of the year. The call letters will be WRLN and the station will be on frequency 105.3 FM.

Editor's Note: The originally broadcast version of this story listed Gerald Spears, Hereditary Chief, as one of the speakers when it was actually Eugene Standing Cloud, Oshkiimaajitahdah Assistant Executive Director, talking. This has been corrected in the video above – we regret the error.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnUPR1RW4io

 

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