Tribal nations continue toward energy independence



Project and Red Lake Nation leadership pose for picture outside

On a windy day just east of the Red Lake Nation's boundaries, tribal and energy leaders gathered to break ground on a new solar array. The project, named Makwa Solar Array, is being built on land the tribe owns near Blackduck.

Red Lake Nation chair Darrel Seki Sr., said the idea for the array was first introduced 11 years ago. He said he’s happy to see it come to fruition.

“It will benefit our members that have homes to cut the rate on their electric bill,” he said. “That's the purpose of this.”

Darrell Seki Sr. wearing a black hat and reflection vest
Darrell Seki Sr., chairman of the Red Lake Nation, said, as of May 15, that plans to build a solar array were first considered in 2015.
Mathew Holding Eagle III | MPR News

Once complete, the array will generate three megawatts of renewable energy. According to the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, that’s capable of powering approximately 500 homes. Makwa Solar Array was funded through grants and by the Red Lake Nation. The project was developed by the Indigenous led Solar Bear.

“I'm a tribal member of the Red Lake Nation, so being able to be a part of this and to be able to help make this dream a reality, I'm just so ecstatic,” Solar Bear owner Robert Blake said. “This is just an incredible moment right now.”

Blake is also executive director of the nonprofit Native Sun Community Power Development. It’s involved with workforce development for the project, as well as some of the planning and preparation. He said the Makwa Solar Array will benefit the community in more ways than one.

“The proceeds from the sale of this power is going to go back into community programming,” he said. “So, that's what's really going to be exciting about this.”

Red Lake Nation’s project hasn’t started construction yet, but once finished the 3-megawatt solar array will be one of the largest on tribal lands. And it will be wholly owned by the Red Lake Nation.

The launch near Blackduck follows a big solar array project from White Earth Nation called the Pine Point Resilience Hub. It’s a 500-kilowatt solar array paired with a planned 2.76 megawatt-hour battery. Both projects reached key development milestones for funding before the Trump administration dialed back tax credits for solar.

“I'm really glad to see many of Minnesota tribal nations still moving forward with all of those projects that they have planned,” said Lissa Pawlisch, assistant commissioner of federal and state initiatives for the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.

She noted that the One Big Beautiful Bill terminated a 30 percent tax credit for solar projects, which could make it harder for other tribes to fund projects in the future.

“The fact that the tax credits have sunset is really going to make a dent in how those tribal nations are able to move forward, and what they have to pay for at the end of the day,” Pawlisch said. “Thirty percent tax credit means 30 percent of the funds that would have been covered elsewhere, now has to be made up by local investors, local funding resources, and that's going to certainly inhibit things going forward.“

Against that backdrop, she’s excited to see the White Earth and Red Lake projects launch.

“These tribal communities are responding to the needs of their community, saying, ‘This is the kind of stuff we want to see happen,' and then getting it done,” Pawlisch said.

Robert Blake wearing sunglasses, black hat and blue vest
Robert Blake is the owner of Solar Bear, the organization responsible for developing the new solar array.
Mathew Holding Eagle III | MPR News

Energy sovereignty

Corrie Grosse, a sociologist and environmental studies professor at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, has been tracking tribes’ efforts to gain energy independence or sovereignty.

“First and foremost, sovereignty is the right, the ability to self-determine, to control your own economy, to care for your people and for the environment,” Grosse said. “Energy is an area where tribes can really assert their sovereignty or can increasingly so.”

As the author of the book “Working Across Lines: Resisting Extreme Energy Extraction,” Grosse said she’s researched resistance to fossil fuels, and is now focusing on solutions, including “Native leadership and renewable energy in particular.”

A view of a solar panel array near a playground.
The Pine Point Resilience Hub, seen here on May 4, is located at a K-8 school on the White Earth Nation.
Courtesy of Andres Perez

That falls in line with work the Red Lake Nation and White Earth Nation are doing for their own solar arrays.

Grosse said utilities often charge customers more on a reservation than off reservation.

“It's something that I don't know the exact answer to, but it's just really stark,” Grosse said. “There's not a lot of support for sovereignty from local and rural utilities sometimes.”

Grosse said conflicts also exist between utility companies and tribes that try to exert control over their own energy needs.

She pointed to the Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association threatening to cut off power to the Upper Sioux Community’s casino, after they revealed plans to activate a solar array to power it, as an example.

Grosse said more education about what sovereignty is as well as how to support it could help.

Backup energy

The White Earth Nation’s Pine Point Resilience Hub is based at a K-8 school and gathering center for elders. The hub was designed to provide backup energy capable of powering the building in times of emergencies. It could power medical devices or act as a warming center in winter.

The Pine Point Resilience Hub was made possible through a partnership between developer 10Power, the White Earth Nation, Pine Point School, 8th Fire Solar and Ziegler Energy Solutions.

Sandra Kwak is the CEO and founder of 10Power, a social impact enterprise that works with communities and tribal nations to build, own, and operate renewable energy projects for climate justice and energy sovereignty.

“This project is really a signature piece of what we do, in that it's providing resilience for the community,” Kwak said. “The school and the tribe are going to own the assets, and we were able to raise capital so that it was zero out of pocket for the community.”

A woman gives a speech in a gymnasium.
10Power CEO Sandra Kwak, delivered a speech Monday, May 4, 2026, during the Pine Point Resilience Hub ribbon cutting.
Courtesy of Andres Perez

Kwak said the resilience hub is going to produce more than 100 percent net of the school’s annual energy usage. She added while the solar part of the project is active, the battery portion won’t be finished until the coming months.

“We're hoping that we'll see more participation programs for the battery to be able to increase resilience for the grid as a whole in the region,” Kwak said.



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Programming Languages List – Table of Content

However, you need to invest more, and mastering any programming language will take some time to master any programming language. So, you have to make the right choice for a better future. Also, while choosing the best programming language, you must check the difficulty level, system requirements, and other aspects. Selecting the best one from the list of programming languages might be challenging.

Therefore, we have compiled a programming languages list to learn in 2023 and beyond to make it easy. Before diving into this blog, you should briefly know about programming language.

What is a Programming Language?

A programming language is a computer language that a programmer or developer uses to communicate with the computer. Moreover, a programming language is a set of instructions and rules written in any specific language to execute a particular task. Developers primarily use programming or coding language to develop desktop, mobile, and web apps. Further, many others, like web designers, video game developers, computer system engineers, etc., use programming languages.

We cannot develop and use any application or website without a programming language. So, programming language plays a vital role in developing various apps. Further, there are two types of programming languages- Low Level and High-Level languages.

Low-Level Programming Languages

A low-level programming language is machine-dependent in which a processor can run these programs much faster. It doesn’t need a compiler or interpreter. This low-level language is further divided into two types as-

  • Machine Language
  • Assembly Language

High-Level Programming Languages

A high-level programming language helps developers to build user-friendly websites, software programs, etc. These languages require a compiler to translate the program into machine code. Further, high-level coding languages like Python, Java, C, C++, Cobol, Perl, Lisp, Swift, etc., are easy to understand and write. Also, we can easily maintain them.

The high-level programming languages are further classified into different parts, such as;-

  • Oops Language
  • Procedural-oriented programming language (POP)
  • Natural Language

Best programming languages to learn

Most aspirants are confused about what coding language they should learn for a better career. In this blog, we have compiled the best programming languages for beginners and professionals. So, anyone interested in advancing their career can start learning these programming languages.

  • Java
  • Python
  • JavaScript
  • C and C++
  • R
  • Swift
  • GoLang
  • HTML
  • Ruby
  • Kotlin

Java

Java is a high-level object-oriented programming language that tops the list of programming languages. It is one of the most widely used coding languages today. Sun Microsystems developed it. Oracle later acquired it. Java language is handy for creating various desktop, mobile, and enterprise-level apps and is compatible with any device. Further, it is compatible with any platform, such as Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, etc.

Java programming language is open-source and has a vast community of developers. They contribute well towards its growth. They also support Java users worldwide. Moreover, Java is much popular language because of its features like:-

  • Platform independence
  • Versatility
  • User-friendly interface
  • Portability across multiple platforms
  • Oops language

Today, Java developers with extensive skills are in high demand worldwide. An expert Java Developer in India can earn an annual salary between Rs. 2 to 9.5 lakhs p.a. The average annual salary is Rs. 4 LPA.

Moreover, Java language offers an easy learning curve to aspirants with basic coding knowledge. Thus, Java is considered the best programming language for beginners. Many large-scale companies use Java, including popular websites and apps like Google, Amazon, YouTube, Netflix, Uber, etc. All these features make Java the best programming language.

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Python

Python is the most popular, widely used, and the best programming language for beginners. Moreover, Python is an open-source coding language with excellent community support. It is famous for its readability because it uses simple syntax. Further, Python language is easy to integrate with multiple web services and helps to build GUI-based desktop apps quickly. Also, many Machine Learning and Deep Learning apps use Python language.

Python is compatible with web and desktop platforms and offers an easy learning curve for beginners. Besides the above, Python is extensively used to develop video games, 3D animations, and popular websites like Quora, YouTube, Instagram, etc.

Companies like Intel, IBM, Netflix, Facebook, etc., also use Python. However, it is popular because it is flexible, intuitive, highly readable, and scripting language.

The following features make it a more popular coding language:-

  • Highly flexible
  • Easy to read
  • Open-source availability
  • OOPs language
  • Extensible and easy to code language
  • Highly Portable

After learning Python, you can go for multiple job profiles like Python Developer, Web Developer, Data Scientist, Web Testing, etc. The annual salary that a Python Developer can earn ranges between Rs. 3 to 9 lakhs per year. The average annual salary stands at Rs. 4 lakhs p.a. Moreover, the popular companies that hire Python developers include Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Cisco, Facebook, Spotify, etc.

JavaScript

JavaScript is also one of the best programming languages, mainly used in the world wide web. It is a dynamically typed scripting language used in developing dynamic web pages. However, it is frequently used with HTML and CSS to create many front-end apps, which makes it easier to click, drag, and move any webpage element. Moreover, it is widely used on client-side apps, which gives websites more power.

For the aspirants of web development, JavaScript is an ideal choice to learn. It is a highly versatile helpful language for front-end and server-side programming. We can use it for mobile app development and games and to automate many mundane tasks. Also, JavaScript has a vast community that openly supports beginners worldwide and resolves issues.

Its benefits include:-

  • User-friendly interface
  • Easy for beginners
  • Supports cross-platform
  • Can be used across the web
  • Best for mobile app development, etc.

A skilled JavaScript Developer makes an annual average salary of Rs. 6.3 lakhs per year. The yearly salary of JavaScript Developers ranges between Rs. 2 to 12 lakhs per year. Globally popular companies like Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, PayPal, Instagram, Walmart, etc., use JavaScript.

C and C++

C is the oldest programming language and is a base for many other programming languages like Java, C#, JavaScript, and more. On the other side, C++ is an advanced version of C language. However, these are widely used programming and high-performance languages that support app development.

Moreover, both are the best programming languages to learn, which require basic problem-solving skills, basic computer operations, etc. The following are the best features of C & C++ languages:-

C Language

  • Simple and fast
  • Highly efficient
  • Portable
  • Rich in libraries
  • Good memory management
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C++ Language

  • OOP language
  • Platform Independent
  • Simple to use
  • Supports dynamic memory allocation
  • Exception handling

A skilled C Developer earns an annual salary between Rs 1.7 to 12 lakhs p.a. with an average salary of Rs 4.5 lakhs p.a. Similarly, a C++ developer earns around Rs. 10 lakhs per year as an average salary. The top companies using C/C++ languages include Apple, Mozilla, Adobe, Bloomberg, and Microsoft.

R Programming

Among the best programming languages to learn, R is one of the most popular open-source coding languages. It is a modern language with the functions like statistical computing, testing, analysis, data analysis, data visualizations, data science, etc.

Moreover, R is a simplified coding language that helps us do modular programming using various functions. Also, it can easily integrate with the languages like C, C++, Python, .Net, etc. Further, R programming language is generally used by data analysts, marketers, researchers, etc. It helps to clean, analyze, visualize, and present data effectively.

Features of R programming include-

  • Simple and very effective
  • Useful for data analysis
  • Open-source
  • Highly extensible
  • Effective in data handling

An R language expert earns an average salary of Rs 5.19 lakhs annually.

Swift

Swift is a popular programming language developed by Apple company. It is in Linux and MacOS applications. It is an open-source coding language, one of the top programming languages to learn. To learn Swift language, basic coding skills are necessary. Further, it is popularly used in iOS apps such as WordPress, Firefox, etc.

Features and benefits of Swift language include-

  • Easier to read, write, and maintain
  • Very fast and have concise code
  • Highly secured language
  • Supports many dynamic libraries
  • Open-source availability

An iOS Swift Developer’s salary in India ranges between Rs. 2 to 11 lakhs p.a. with an average annual salary of Rs. 4 LPA. Many top companies like Uber, CRED, Lyft, Glovo, Asana, etc., use Swift language.

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GoLang

Go is one of the popular and best programming languages developed by Google, especially for web apps. It is a compiled language and is efficiently helpful for many large apps. Moreover, it is one of the fastest-growing coding languages that support cross-platforms, including desktops. Many giant companies in the IT sector use the Go language in their large-scale projects.

Further, it is the best programming language for beginners to learn basic skills. GoLang helps many popular global companies like Google, Netflix, PayPal, Trivago, YouTube, Walmart, and Twitter. There are multiple job offers available for Golang experts in the market.

Below are the various features of Golang:-

  • Simple Code
  • Supports Testing
  • Excellent performance
  • Easy to learn and maintain
  • Suitable for large-scale projects
  • Cross-platform support
  • Highly compatible and fast

A skilled Golang developer in India earns a salary between Rs. 2 to 24 lakhs per annum. The average annual salary is Rs. 7 LPA, as per AmbitionBox.

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HTML

HTML refers to Hyper Text Markup Language, primarily helpful in developing web pages and apps. Adding links, images, videos, and other content to the web page is also helpful. HTML is a simple programming language requiring only a few skills. It helps you to build a basic web page quickly. Those who are new to web development can start with HTML. Learning HTML can open doors for many job opportunities.

Further, HTML is valid for developing structured documents. HTML’s major benefit is building standard and well-designed web pages. You can easily maintain and update these web pages.

The following are the features of HTML:-

  • Platform independent
  • User-friendly interface
  • Flexible to design web pages
  • Simple to use
  • Easy to structure and present the web content
  • The latest version is HTML5, which offers multiple features like audio, video, multimedia, local storage, 3D Graphics, etc.
  • These features make it a powerful tool that provides an engaging web experience to its users.

An HTML Developer earns an annual salary of Rs. 1.1 to 6.5 lakhs per year. The annual average salary stands at Rs. 3 lakhs. This salary range will go higher with increasing experience.

Ruby

Ruby is another best programming languages, relatively simple to learn and developed in the mid-1990s. It is a dynamically typed, Oops language helpful for web development. Also, it helps to implement a popular web application and server-side framework, Ruby on Rails. It is written in the Ruby language. Beginners in the web development field can easily learn Ruby. There are many opportunities for Ruby developers in the market.

The following are the various features of Ruby:-

  • Highly flexible
  • Exception handling
  • Open-source language
  • Used for CGI scripts
  • Easy syntax
  • Supports GUI tools

A Ruby on Rails developer’s salary in India is between Rs. 2 to 12.5 Lakhs per year, with an average salary of 5 lakhs p.a.

Kotlin

Kotlin is also the best programming language to learn that runs on JavaVM. It is a statically typed language. Also, it is a general-purpose coding language that is beneficial for web, desktop, and server-side app development, including Android apps. It supports many Google apps today, and many global companies use Kotlin as their primary coding language.

If you have prior experience with programming languages like Java, it will be easier to learn Kotlin. Further, many Android app developers use this coding language popularly.

The following features of Kotlin present it as the best programming language:-

  • Easy language to adopt.
  • Highly compatible with Java.
  • Its code is very expressive and concise.
  • It offers less code with better readability.
  • Helps in developing many backend and web apps along with Android apps.

Moreover, Kotlin Developers are in good demand, where an expert with good skills earns around Rs. 4 lakhs per year on average.

Bottom Line
Thus, above are the top 10 programming languages listed among many other languages available today. The other best programming languages include PHP, CSS, Perl, SQL, Scala, Matlab, etc. These are also famous programming languages and developing web and mobile apps. So, learning any of these programming skills will benefit the aspirants looking forward to building a solid IT career.



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