Prior Lake, MN – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of South Dakota have reached a final agreement which will save 7,100 acres of tribal land from seizure by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).



The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe was approved for a $2.7 million SMSC loan to buy back land that was seized by the IRS and sold at public auction in December 2009. The closing of the loan comes within the 180-day period after the sale during which the property can be redeemed.



According to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, approximately 7,100 acres were seized and sold for $2.57 million in response to a debt accrued over bad tax advice. According to the lawsuit, “The tribe has attempted since then to pay the arrearages and subsequent amounts as they come due, but has been unable to bring the employment taxes current because over this same amount of time the Internal Revenue Services have levied and garnished various accounts of the tribe making it impossible for the tribe to bring the taxes current.”



In addition to the loan, a $1 million Shakopee Mdewakanton tribal grant (in two installments of $500,000) was also made to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe for property tax payment and operating expenses relating to the IRS land seizure situation.



With approximately 3,000 members and a reservation of 225,000 acres, the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe consists of the members of the Isanti and Ihanktowan divisions of the Great Sioux Nation.



For more information about the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, call (605) 245-2221.



About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

The SMSC utilizes its financial resources from gaming and non-gaming enterprises to pay for all of the internal infrastructure of the Tribe, including but not limited to roads, water and sewer systems, emergency services, and essential services to its Tribal members in education, health, and welfare. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has a charitable giving program which comes from a cultural and social tradition to assist those in need.



Over the past 13 years, the SMSC has donated more than $180.8 million to charitable organizations and Indian Tribes. Since 1996 the SMSC paid more than $6.6 million for shared local road construction projects and an additional $5 million for road projects on the reservation.



The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Minnesota, is the owner and operator of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, Playworks, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, The Meadows at Mystic Lake, and other enterprises on a reservation south of the Twin Cities.