Creating Her Own Way

Bonnie LeBeau reflects on 25 years of partnering with Four Bands and a lifetime of quilting.

Although Bonnie LeBeau, a Navy veteran and member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, has a long-standing reputation as a talented quilter, she just recently opened her first storefront. Bonnie LeBeaux Quilts, nestled in a row of suites on busy LaCrosse Street in Rapid City, sells a variety of fabrics and ribbon in the front and houses Bonnie’s quilting equipment and work area in the back.

“I think of it as more of a working studio; it’s where I create. If somebody stops in, then I stop what I’m doing and cut fabric for them,” says Bonnie of her new shop.

Bonnie’s quilting career was encouraged by her grandparents who always made her and her siblings feel their creativity had real value. Her grandpa, a skilled leather worker, was so proud when Bonnie’s brother gifted him a handmade leather wallet one time. She remembers him telling her brother, “As long as you can make something like this, you’ll never go hungry.”

That was a pivotal moment that inspired Bonnie’s quilting business. Because of it, she has always believed that her quilting would provide for her and her children no matter what. Over the years, she has crafted and sold hundreds of custom designed star quilts to help others commemorate a variety of special occasions and milestones. Bonnie opened her new retail space with financing from Four Bands Community Fund, a nonprofit loan fund headquartered in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, on the Cheyenne River Reservation. This wasn’t her first introduction to Four Bands, though. Originally from Cheyenne River, Bonnie recalls when the organization started up in a small building at the end of Main Street 25 years ago.

“It was all word of mouth back then. People were talking, wondering what they were doing in there, and then we found out they were helping businesses. I ended up talking with a friend of mine who took out a loan for carpet at her daycare,” recalls Bonnie.

After that, Bonnie learned more about Four Bands and began participating in a range of programs that set a foundation for her entrepreneurial success. She took a credit building course where she learned how to improve her credit and leverage it to achieve her financial goals. She completed Four Bands’ CREATE (Cheyenne River Entrepreneurial Assistance, Training, and Education) course and gained knowledge in planning, launching, and operating a business. She even took a QuickBooks class.

“They always had so many resources. It was always so exciting,” says Bonnie.

Eventually, Bonnie used a loan from Four Bands to purchase her first long arm quilting machine. Although Bonnie had a full-time job, the loan enabled her to fully monetize her craft of creating star quilts and generate additional income. As her business gained momentum, Bonnie began working with Four Bands in other ways. For example, she helped facilitate a professional development training for Native artists. Based on a peer-to-peer learning model, Bonnie shared her successful business practices with new, up and coming artists. In addition, Bonnie served on Four Bands’ Board of Directors and held the Secretary position for part of her tenure. Bonnie’s entrepreneurial experience and insight to running a successful business in an economically distressed community provided guidance that helped shape Four Bands’ programs and policies.

Then about four years ago, Bonnie decided, “I was ready for a change of pace.”

She left her 25-year career with the Bureau of Indian Education, moved to bustling Rapid City, South Dakota, and ventured into the world of real estate. She became a real estate agent, which subsequently jumpstarted her AirBnB enterprise. Being self-employed without the security of a steady income, Bonnie wisely considered how to diversify her income streams.

“I finally came to the conclusion that quilting really is my passion. I’ve known that, but I always looked at it like more of a part-time thing. And that’s where Four Bands came in. They provided me with the opportunity,” reflects Bonnie. “In a way, I’ve come full circle with them.”

Thriving as a full-time entrepreneur, Bonnie says she loves the freedom of being self-employed. She believes that the finance and business classes she took years ago have also played a role in her more recent successes.

“It sticks with you,” she affirms.

Similarly, that pivotal moment with her grandfather many years ago has stuck with her throughout her life. Looking back, she realizes it wasn’t just praise her grandpa was offering; he was instilling lessons of self-reliance. He also had another saying, “If you’re willing to help yourself, I’ll always be willing to help you.”

“In a way, that is what Four Bands offers to people. If we’re willing to take the leap and put in the work, they are there to support us,” says Bonnie.

Her drive and her entrepreneurial spirit have gotten her to where she is today, but she believes there is something to say about Four Bands’ contributions on Cheyenne River and beyond. Even though there was a shroud of mystery surrounding the organization in the very beginning, Bonnie says it is their compassionate leadership that has built trust in the community while still holding onto cultural values. Bonnie and hundreds of Native entrepreneurs over the past 25 years have felt the impacts of that.

Bonnie adds, “They understood the economic challenges of reservations. The area was lacking regular salary jobs. So, what can you do about that? You have to create your own employment. There is opportunity there, and Four Bands sees it. They help people to create their own way – and learn how to do it successfully.”

And that is just what Bonnie LeBeau has done and continues to do – create her own path to success.