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SMSC Supports Cheyenne River Elderly Village, MN
Mdewakanton Fire Department Celebrates One Year of Ambulance Service for Patients on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and Surrounding Areas, MN
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Supports Local Social Services Through Charitable Giving Over the past several years the SMSC has donated more than $56.5 million to charitable organizations and Indian Tribes, MN
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community's Mystic Lake Employees Raise Funds for Katrina Victims

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Indigenous News Network California Indian Development Council, CA

Grants Deadlines
Morongo Band of Mission Indians offers the Rodney T. Mathew Jr. Memorial Scholarship program open to any enrolled member of a California Indian tribe who is a full-time student at an accredited college or university and has a minimum GPA of 2.75, CA

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Honoring Our Own Power
IRS Office of Indian Tribal Governments (ITG) Newsletter

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“We are thrilled to be able to provide a unique and targeted service throughout Indian Country in an effort to attract qualified candidates for key positions,” remarked Nakia Lent (Santa Ynez Band of Chumash/Comanche), Co-Founder and President of NativeCountryCareers.com. 

Santa Ynez, CA – With the rapid expansion of economic development growth in Native American communities across the nation and the need to find qualified, experienced, capable employees fast  - NativeCountryCareers.com has launched as the premier Native American employment web site for those employers seeking to recruit candidates nationally.  As an introduction to employers, NativeCountryCareers.com is offering a pro-rated 3 month job posting with 1 month FREE!
“We are thrilled to be able to provide a unique and targeted service throughout Indian Country in an effort to attract qualified candidates for key positions,” remarked Nakia Lent (Santa Ynez Band of Chumash/Comanche), Co-Founder and President of NativeCountryCareers.com.  Ms. Lent’s vision of “linking people and Tribes for success” is based on her desire to serve her heritage, people and economic endeavors, which will sustain the needs of Tribes for generations to come.             
Developed by experienced American Indian human resources experts, NativeCountryCareers.com solves the continuous challenge of quickly finding applicants by offering Native American employers with a technology vehicle to post job openings in a wide range of categories and receive resumes in real-time.  For interested applicants, NativeCountryCareers.com provides a user-friendly online resource, Resume Builder, to design and upload a resume for inclusion in the database.             
Between the three key partners of NativeCountryCareers.com, which include CEO Desi Zavalla (Santa Ynez Band of Chumash/Comanche) and Office Manager Antonia Flores (Santa Ynez Band of Chumash), have over a decade of experience directly in Native American tribal enterprise human resource and administrative experience.
To list a job opening, post your resume or find out more information about the pro-rated 3 month offer go to www.NativeCountryCareers.com or call (805) 688-2122.

Press Release: Shakopee Mdewakantion Sioux Community, MN
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Supports Cheyenne River Elderly Village
Prior Lake— The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe will construct an Elderly Village on their reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, due in part to a $3 million loan from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. The Elderly Village will be one of the first state-licensed, federally certified nursing facility on an Indian reservation. It will provide about 60 jobs for local residents. Scheduled to open in July 2006, the facility will contain 60 beds: 50 skilled nursing beds and 10 assisted living beds. The 50,000 square foot facility will be open to both Indian and non-Indian patients. Currently elders live as far as 175 miles away from the reservation because of the lack of available nursing home beds. Groundbreaking for the facility was held on June 29, 2005.
"There is urgency in bringing our elders home to the Reservation. Not only is this where they want to be, but they will also bring with them a culture that is being lost. Having our elders close to us will allow them to teach us...the language, our history, a forgotten value system. It will also show them that they have not been abandoned. Our elders need to come home because we need to save the culture, and because we need to rejuvenate their minds and spirits. Having a nursing facility close to home will accomplish that," wrote the Tribal Government in their grant proposal.A member of Oceti Sakowin, The Seven Council Fires of the Dakota/Lakota/Nakota Nation, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has a large membership spread over a large land base. A population of 13,270 Tribal members lives on a land base of 2.8 million acres (1.4 million in trust) in north central South Dakota with an unemployment rate of approximately 78%.Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Chairman Stanley Crooks said, "We are happy to be able to assist the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe's efforts to keep their elderly at home on the reservation. We know that it is the wisdom of the elders that keeps a people strong. We think this will be a good project which will support and encourage their cultural ways as well as help provide good jobs for their Tribal members.""With the efforts of the Shakopee Tribe we are able to accomplish the development of the Elderly Village," said CRST Chairman Harold Frazier at the groundbreaking ceremony.The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has funded a number of programs on the Cheyenne River Reservation over the past few years including $1 million for construction of a new Bingo Hall, $250,000 for a youth center, $50,000 for a diabetes clinic, $6,000 for a suicide prevention program, and $27,200 for hay for buffalo and wild horses. The SMSC has also donated to several Pow Wows on the reservation.
Already in 2005 the SMSC made a $17 million loan to the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of South Dakota, for construction of a new casino hotel at Watertown, South Dakota, to replace the existing Dakota Sioux Casino. Also in 2005 the SMSC made a $38 million loan to the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota for debt consolidation and an expansion of the Tribe's Prairie Wind Casino and Hotel. In the past the SMSC has made economic development loans to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe for $41 million (2003); the Upper Sioux Tribe for $21 million (2001); and the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe for $2.8 million (1996).
Over the past several years the SMSC has donated more than $56.5 million to charitable organizations and Indian Tribes. 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, and other enterprises on the reservation south of the Twin Cities. 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 housing, roads, water and sewer systems, and essential services to its Tribal members in education, health, and welfare.

Press Release: Cobell v. Norton, IndianTrust.com
Federal Appeals Court Judges Skeptical of Latest Government Claim in Long-Running Indian Trust Case

Press Release: Shakopee Mdewakantion Sioux Community, MN
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community's Mystic Lake Employees Raise Funds for Katrina Victims

Back row, left to right: SMSC Gaming Enterprise Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors Charlie Vig, SMSC Gaming Enterprise Board of Directors Secretary Freedom Buchtel, Environmental Services Heavy-Duty Custodian Gail Joplin, American Red Cross Donations Relations Manager Melanie Ewald, Little Six Casino Restaurant Cashier Jeannine Johannsen, SMSC Gaming Enterprise Board of Directors Director Rob Totenhagen, SMSC Gaming Enterprise Board of Directors Treasurer Loretta Zacharias. Front row, left to right: SMSC Gaming Enterprise Chairman of the Board of Directors Steve Florez and SMSC Gaming Enterprise Board of Directors Director Mike Crooks.

Prior Lake, Minnesota – Team Members at Mystic Lake and Little Six Casinos were saddened by events in New Orleans surrounding Hurricane Katrina and its wake of devastation. As casino employees they were particularly affected by news of the thousands of casino workers in the Gulf area who were suddenly homeless, jobless, and grieving. Wanting to help, Team Members initiated a grassroots effort to raise funds, sharing their concerns with casino management personnel.  A day of planning and discussion followed, and a fundraising strategy was in put place with the American Red Cross designated as the fund recipient. 
Sharing their grief for the victims and working together to make a difference, Team Members donated  $17,510.88. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Business Council had been discussing ways to help with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. “We heard the Team member’s story and decided to match their contributions,” said SMSC Chairman Stanley Crooks.  The total donation of $35,021.76 was made to the American Red Cross on  September 29, 2005 at Mystic Lake Casino.Hurricane Katrina struck land at New Orleans August 29, 2005, disrupting more than one million peoples' lives. This tragedy left hundreds of thousands homeless, orphaned, injured, and grieving for lost loved ones. Damage estimates have topped $200 billion.  As floodwaters recede, the devastation is further revealed. Ninety thousand square miles of the southeastern United States have been declared federal disaster areas.Last winter the SMSC responded to the tsunami, which hit Southeast Asia by donating over 250,000 bottles of water through the relief organization Feed The Children. The water was transported to survivors and aid workers in the cities of Banda Aceh, Jakarta, and Medan, all in Indonesia. 
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, The Meadows at Mystic Lake Golf Course, Playworks, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, and other enterprises on the reservation south of the Twin Cities.

Press Release: Shakopee Mdewakantion Sioux Community, MN
Mdewakanton Fire Department Celebrates One Year of Ambulance Service for Patients on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Community and Surrounding Areas

"The SMSC Business Council has directed Mdewakanton Emergency Services to assist whenever possible to make the larger community safer for all area residents", said Muelken.

Prior Lake, Minnesota - On October 1, 2005, it was one year since Mdewakanton Emergency Services began ambulance transport for patients on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Community and surrounding areas. During that time Mdewakanton Emergency Services responded to an average of 180 calls a month, 85% of which were medical and 55% of which were transported. They responded to over 70 mutual aid calls over the past year from area departments including Queen of Peace Hospital in New Prague and Allina.
With the assistance of trained Emergency Medical Technicians on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Gaming Enterprise Security Staff, the department had several successful defibrillator "saves" where patients were shocked with a defibrillator and then had their heart rhythm restored. “Our goal is to defibrillate these patients within 3 minutes, treat with advanced life support procedures, and transport to St. Francis Hospital for evaluation and stabilization as quickly as possible. After this they may be transferred to an appropriate hospital with cardiac catheterization capabilities. This is a procedure to open blocked vessels in the heart.  If this can be done quickly it will result in minimal heart damage," said SMSC Director of Emergency Services Jim Muelken.
Patients' outcomes have been greatly improved by the quick response of Community Responders. First responders (Security Staff) are on scene in 1 minute and Mdewakanton Emergency services are on scene within 0-2 minutes, 95% of the time. All responding ambulances can provide Advanced Life Support. 
Ambulance crews are able to perform skills such as checking vital signs, administering oxygen, advanced airway techniques, administering medications, electrocardiogram interpretation and treatment, emergency obstetrics, and responding to all types of trauma.
As an exercise of governmental authority over all its lands and all lands within the boundaries of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, the ambulance service serves Community members, guests of the Community, and residents of nearby communities by request through mutual aid agreements. Mdewakanton Emergency Services operates an ambulance service as well as a fire, rescue, and hazardous materials response unit.
Negotiations for the groundbreaking ambulance service culminated in an intergovernmental agreement signed May 26, 2004, for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community by Chairman Stanley R. Crooks, along with Representatives from the Minnesota Emergency Management Services Regulatory Board: Chairman Michael Parrish and Executive Director Mary Hedges.
"The SMSC Business Council has directed Mdewakanton Emergency Services to assist whenever possible to make the larger community safer for all area residents", said Muelken.
Mdewakanton Emergency Services is owned and operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Minnesota. The SMSC is also the owner and operator of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, Dakotah Meadows RV Park and Campground, Playworks, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, and other enterprises.

Press Release: Shakopee Mdewakantion Sioux Community, MN
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Supports Local Social Services Through Charitable Giving
In fiscal year 2005 the SMSC donated more than $14.5 million to charitable organizations and Indian Tribes. Over the past several years the SMSC has donated more than $56.5 million to charitable organizations and Indian Tribes.

Prior Lake, Minnesota – Dakota Tribes have a long tradition of helping those in need. That tradition continues today in the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community commitment to charitable giving. The SMSC announces $261,500 in grants to several local social service agencies.
The Division of Indian Works of Minneapolis received a donation of $100,000 for a teen parenting program, emergency assistance, a group home, and operating expenses. The DIW received a donation of $75,000 for the same programs earlier in fiscal year 2005. The DIW also provides summer activities, after school activities, holiday meal baskets, culture camp, tutoring, and services for Native American families.
The SMSC donated $75,000 to the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center in Minneapolis for operating expenses. The MIWRC provides referrals, advocacy, and support for families in the areas of chemical dependency and sexual assault recovery. The SMSC donated $50,000 each year to the MIWRC in fiscal years 2004 and 2003.
American Indian Services of Minneapolis will receive $50,000 for facility improvements including renovations or replacements to the kitchen, roof, fire alarms, windows, and carpets. AIS provides support services primarily to recovering chemically dependent individuals who are in transition from treatment. They also run the only Native American halfway house in Minneapolis. In fiscal year 2004 the SMSC donated $100,000 to them.
The Neighborhood Involvement Program of West Minneapolis received $15,000 for general services. NIP provides services for immigrants, people without health insurance, those who are mentally ill, senior citizens, at-risk youth, and victims of violence. This is the second installation of a three-year grant for a total of $50,000.
Ain Dah Ing, Inc., of Shell Lake, Wisconsin, received an SMSC donation of $10,000 for training and upgrading services for their 15-bed residential facility and halfway house. In fiscal year 2005 they received $10,000 to provide healing, education, and inspiration to Native Americans in recovery from alcoholism and drug abuse.
Indian Fellowship of Minneapolis received $6,500 for repair to a boiler. In previous years they have received a total of $10,000 for holiday donations. Indian Fellowship is a church serving a predominantly Native American congregation.
The Miigeweyon Funeral Project in Minneapolis received $5,000 to help pay for a van. The Funeral Project provides space for wakes, wake and funeral cards, a resource directory, a funeral food shelf, low cost handmade wooden coffins, and a memorial feast in addition to transportation for Native Americans who have journeyed to the Spirit World for burial. The Project has assisted with 530 funerals since 1992. They received a donation from the SMSC for $6,000 in fiscal year 2005.
In fiscal year 2005 the SMSC donated more than $14.5 million to charitable organizations and Indian Tribes. Over the past several years the SMSC has donated more than $56.5 million to charitable organizations and Indian Tribes. 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 housing, roads, water and sewer systems, and essential services to its tribal members in education, health, and welfare. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Minnesota is the owner and operator of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Playworks, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, and other enterprises on the reservation south of the Twin Cities.

The Riverside Press Enterprise, CA
Spreading the wealth
12:08 AM PDT on Sunday, October 9, 2005, By SARA FEASTER / The Press-Enterprise
In a groundbreaking step, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians tribe near Cabazon presented three American Indian women from other tribes with new scholarships designed to provide financial aid to California tribal members.
Unlike other scholarships offered through Morongo and other tribes, the Rodney T. Mathew Jr. Memorial Scholarship program is open to any enrolled member of a California Indian tribe who is a full-time student at an accredited college or university and has a minimum GPA of 2.75, according to a Morongo press release.
"I think what Morongo did was unique and wonderful," said Carly J. Tex, a 21-year-old student at Sonoma State University who was one of the three recipients of the $10,000 scholarships. The scholarship "took a lot of weight off of my shoulders and now I can think about school instead of rent." She is a member of the North Folk Mono Rancheria
Christina A. Brown, a member of Owens Valley Paiute Tribe and a student at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, and Ki-Shan D. Lara, a member of the Hupa Valley Tribe and a student at Arizona State University, are the other two recipients. .
Applicants wrote two essays on the topic of Native American reservations, were required to have two recommendations from advisers and one from a American Indian community which the applicant was involved in, as well as a financial aid analysis, itinerary of expenses, two current transcripts and a list of courses the student was planning to take, according to Tex. "Morongo has extended aid to people of different tribes...I think its great and I hope they keep it up," Tex said over the phone.
Deadline for the 2006 submission is April 1. The application may be downloaded from www.morongonation.org

Last Updated: Feb 04 07