Standing Rock, Ft Peck, St Croix, Intertribal Agriculture Council
to Benefit

Prior Lake, MN – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community today announced several grants that have been made recently which total nearly $1 million.

“These grants will help stimulate economic development and improve access to services for tribal members,” said SMSC Chairman Charlie Vig.

A $500,000 grant to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota helped fund several programs: Porcupine Head Start, Running Antelope program, road improvements, propane project, and an administration office for the South Dakota side of the reservation.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is comprised of members of the Dakota and Lakota nations. The Standing Rock Reservation is the sixth largest in the United States in land area, with a population of 8,250 living on 3,571 square miles.

A $200,000 grant to the Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes of Poplar, Montana, funded an oilfield drill pipe rethreading business operated by Fort Peck Tech Services, Inc., a tribally owned company. The grant is part of a financing package including federal and tribal funding. The proximity of the Fort Peck Reservation to the Bakken Oilfield creates opportunities for a metal fabrication and machining business. The funds will cover equipment, startup and operating capital, and facilities improvements. The initiative will create employment for tribal members and generate revenues for the tribe.

The Fort Peck Reservation is home to two separate American Indian nations, each composed of numerous bands and divisions. The Sioux divisions of Sisseton, Wahpetons, the Yanktonais, and the Teton Hunkpapa are all represented. The Assiniboine bands of Canoe Paddler and Red Bottom are also represented. The Fort Peck Reservation homelands are located in the northeast corner of Montana. There are an estimated 11,786 enrolled tribal members, of whom approximately 6,000 reside on or near the reservation.

A matching grant for $120,000 to the St Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin will help fund renovations to their tribal health clinic. The remodel is required in order for them to stay open, meet federal standards, provide physical disability accessibility, and provide up to code workspaces. “Miigwech, thank you, in advance for your generosity and assistance. We are in awe of your contributions and the powerful force of good that you offer our world!” wrote tribal Chairman Stuart Bearheart.

The St. Croix Tribe is one of the largest employers in Northwest Wisconsin with more than 2,000 employees in its government center, casinos, and enterprises. There are 1,054 enrolled members in the St. Croix Chippewa Tribe.

A $100,000 to the Intertribal Agriculture Council of Madison, Wisconsin, will provide funds to help offset required contributions of tribes and tribal producers who receive United States Department of Agriculture grants. These Value Added Producer grants help fund the development of marketing plans and provide working capital for farmers, ranchers, and other food producers ready to expand their production of agriculture products requiring processing which adds value to the raw product.

For the first time, tribes are eligible to participate in this program, but the requirement for a 50% matching fund is a potential major barrier for participation.

“The overall impact of this investment has enormous potential because it will help tribal food operations become more sustainable by developing roadmaps to enhance the value of their agricultural products,” wrote Dan Cornelius, Technical Assistance Specialist for the Great Lakes Region in the request letter.

American Indian Foods (AIF) is a program of the Intertribal Agriculture Council that began in 1998 under contract with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. The partnership was developed as a platform for American Indian food businesses to showcase their products and share tribal cultures with the world.

Many of these products are still harvested in ways defined hundreds of years ago.

IAC was founded in 1987 to pursue and promote the conservation, development, and use of agricultural resources for the betterment of Indian people. Since that time, the IAC has become recognized as a respected voice within the Indian community and government circles on agricultural policies and programs in Indian country.

Other recent grants for fiscal year 2012 which were previously not announced include: $25,000 to the Blackfeet Nation for emergency assistance and $50,000 to the Oglala Sioux Tribe for emergency assistance after a severe wind storm.

About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

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, Mazopiya, The Meadows at Mystic Lake, and other enterprises on a reservation south of the Twin Cities. The SMSC utilizes its financial resources from gaming and non-gaming enterprises to pay for the internal infrastructure of the Tribe, including but not limited to roads, water and sewer systems, emergency services, and essential services to its members in education, health, and well-being.

A tribal charitable giving program which comes from a cultural and social tradition to assist those in need has given away more than $258.2 million to Indian Tribes, charitable organizations, and schools since 1996. Through the Mdewakanton LIFE Program, the SMSC has donated 746 Automated External Defibrillators to tribes, schools, police and fire departments, and other organizations with 19 lives successfully saved due to their use.

The SMSC has also made more than $523 million in loans mostly to other tribes for economic and infrastructure development projects. Since 1996 the SMSC paid more than $7.6 million for shared local road construction and an additional $16.7 million for road projects on the reservation. The SMSC has also paid $14.4 million to local governments for services and another $6.4 million for other projects.