An enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (TMBCI), Wesley (Wes) Davis was born and raised on the TMBCI Reservation, a vibrant multicultural community in Belcourt, North Dakota that melds traditions from the Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) people and the Metis/Cree people to create a culture that is both unique and beautifully colorful.
Wes is an entrepreneur and professional energy consultant, a green jobs creator, and a life-long advocate for the wise use of resources and clean, renewable energy. His consulting work focuses on strategic energy planning, energy infrastructure, and Indigenous energy.
Indigenized Energy talked with Wes about his work and what it means to be both Native American and an energy leader in a region that is traditionally pro-fossil fuel.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: Give us a picture of your career journey. How did you get your start in the energy industry?
A: Until I was about 17, my life consisted of everything that my beautiful reservation had to offer from High School sports, to roping and riding horses, to hunting and fishing. However, I became a father immediately after High School and needed to shift gears and get an education to take care of my daughter.
I went to trade school in East Grand Forks Minnesota, then attended Northwest Technical College. College was a culture shock for me, as I was not a well-traveled person and had a very small world view. I was one of only two Native Americans enrolled in the Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC) classes at Northwest Technical College and one of only five Indigenous students throughout the entire campus. It was very hard for me, as I was having to break down barriers every day, putting myself in uncomfortable situations constantly. Fortunately, my instructor, Chris Reak, was an amazing person and mentored me through the program. For some reason he understood what I was going through and helped me address a lot of the anxieties I was dealing with. He encouraged me to just stick with it.
I graduated with an AAS and was immediately recruited to start working at a commercial HVAC company. That's when the real training started. I learned so much about life outside the reservation. I had friends of all colors and races, however I still dealt with racial undertones with some customers. In those early days, I had opportunities to work with many mechanical systems and developed a deep understanding of building automation systems and geothermal energy. I learned a lot about society, the HVAC industry, and the birth of the renewable energy industry.
I took this experience back with me to my hometown, where I was hired by Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC) as the Facilities Manager and Infrastructure and Development Officer. The campus was built to reflect the traditional beliefs of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, including creating things that will have a positive impact on seven generations. These cultural beliefs led the college to build a state-of-the-art campus that relied on sustainable energy. The TMCC campus has over 200 tons of geothermal heating and cooling, a 660 KW wind generator, and the most advanced building automation system. I was able to bring the TMCC main campus complex within the range of 90% efficiency, creating huge savings in the operational budget by cutting the utility bill by more than half.
Q: You could have concluded your career at Turtle Mountain Community College and been very proud. That’s not what happened.
A: Correct. The majority of HVAC service, repairs, and installs come from off-reservation HVAC companies with no competition, creating price gouging and ultimately hardships for Indigenous homeowners on top of high utility bills. I wanted to address this and use my extensive knowledge and history to help create more opportunities for Indigenous HVAC businesses. It was always my dream to start my own HVAC company as an Indigenous man, and in an industry that historically did very little to serve my community, much less any Indigenous community in the Dakotas. So, I created and am the sole owner of Bear Soldier Xergy, an energy consulting and mechanical business that serves my Indigenous community.
As a traditionalist, my work under Bear Soldier Xergy, is based on the Seven Grandfather Teachings, and the understanding that we must make decisions that will impact our seven generations in a positive way.
Q: You also helped build two other renewable energy companies.
A: Yes. For one, I teamed up with Jim Kambeitz and Ryan Warner, my friends and the co-founders of Lightspring Solar, to build up the company. It started as a residential and commercial solar installation business, but we are now also trusted energy consultants. We have a deep understanding of the energy industry, and we have learned to write grants, build feasibility studies, and create strategic energy plans for tribal and non-tribal communities and entities seeking to install renewable energy.
The third business is Native Brothers Services, LLC in New Town, North Dakota which serves the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA) Nation. It was founded by Esly Thornton, an enrolled member of MHA Nation, Daylon Fox, a descendant of the MHA Nation, and myself. We have done many residential installs and are very proud of our commercial solar PV and solar thermal install on the Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College. We want to leverage our extensive knowledge of tribal infrastructure and development to serve as a business incubator and help mentor Indigenous entrepreneurs who want to start their own solar companies in tribal communities. It is our goal to be able to give all reservations in North Dakota access to renewable energy.
Q: It must have been challenging to start solar companies in a region that is traditionally pro-fossil fuels. What was that like?
A: It was very hard to get started in an industry that didn't exist. There is barely a solar industry still as we speak, however our grit and determination has made us successful. We had to switch gears and be creative by creating our own industry, by applying for grants for organizations and owners, doing energy feasibility studies, and working with tribal colleges to do community outreach.
Q: Have you had opportunities to collaborate with Indigenized Energy?
A: Over the years we have collaborated on several projects. The most amazing project we got to work on together was the Tesla solar wall install on a veteran’s home in Twin Buttes. This project was so beautiful because it was organized by Indigenized Energy, installed by Native Brothers Services and supported by the Lightspring Solar team on top of so many other solar experts who took part in different ways, all to give back to an Indigenous veteran who is more than deserving of such a build.
Q: Has being Native American, and very proud of who you are and where you come from, affected your career in the solar industry? If so, how?
A: Being Indigenous in this industry has been a blessing more than anything as my beliefs align with other tribal communities who want to invest in renewable energy. It is not always about the return on investment as Indigenous people. Most of the time it aligns with our resilience as a Nation and how we take care of our people, especially our youth who will live here when we are gone.
All the businesses I am involved in have an ecocentric-based philosophy. The most beautiful thing about these businesses is the unity created with them. We have a colorful crew that can go into any community and feel welcomed. That is the most important aspect to us. We are all North Dakotans, and we strive to keep it that way. We want to make sure we are as grassroots as possible.
Q: How has the industry changed since your journey began?
A: In the early 2000's, I was attracted to the technology that was being developed to control mechanical systems. I still remember replacing the old mercury thermostat with my first digital programmable thermostat.
Now, entire mechanical systems are operated by artificial intelligence (AI), with hardly any hardwiring, as everything is operable off of WIFI. This new technology is only getting better, and I am so glad I have the experience of working with and installing old generation mechanical systems all the way up to the most advanced AI technology operated mechanical systems today. This experience is what makes me unique in the industry, as I understand the basics of each component in any mechanical system and I am able to tweak it to the highest efficiency with modern AI.
Q: What advice would you give Indigenous people who are considering green jobs or careers in renewable energy?
A: There are so many green job opportunities out there that can be very fruitful and give back to your community. First, find your passion, and then look at your community and what it needs. You can be on the administrative side of things (grants, fiscal, planning), and you could be on the hands-on side of things (solar installers, mechanical contractors with an emphasis on renewable energy). All trades are shifting to more efficient ways to build, heat and cool. #foodsovereignty #energysovereignty
Q: You have accomplished so much in a relatively short amount of time. What keeps you going?
A: We as Anishinaabe People, Indigenous people, are the original caretakers of Aakii (Mother Earth). My motivation is in my DNA, who we are, where we come from and how we live in balance with the natural elements of the world. I fight for a better quality of life for the youth who will have to live in this world after I am gone.
As Indigenous people we have known about solar energy for time immemorial. We knew that Giizis (Sun) energy is sacred and a part of the circle of life. We know that Giizis and Aakii hold a special relationship and are our life givers. Plants are the original solar panels absorbing energy to sustain life. Expressing this ancient knowledge of our people in a modern Industry, shows that we are the stewards of this industry and we belong here.