Shakopee Mdewakanton Release Omakatob Wowapi, Four Year Report: 2008-2011

Prior Lake, MN – Four years ago there was no wind turbine keeping its silent vigil over the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. There was no Organic Recycling Facility, no organic garden, no natural food market. Dakotah! Ice Center was not yet open for local hockey teams, and there was no amphitheater bringing entertainment outdoors on warm summer nights. These are just a few of the changes the SMSC has undergone during the time period of January 2008 through December 2011. Omakatob Wowapi, Four Year Report: 2008-2011, which was released today by the SMSC details these and other changes to the tribal Community.

Continued growth and development in all areas of the Community are chronicled in the 70 page, full-color, glossy report which is dedicated to telling the story of the four-year term in office of the current Business Council. The report describes the efforts to protect tribal sovereignty, and to oversee land trust actions, services, enterprises, and infrastructure. The report also provides an overview of the events, activities and important initiatives undertaken since being federally recognized as an Indian Tribe in 1969. The report is available for viewing online at http://www.shakopeedakota.org or by making an appointment to read the report by calling the tribe’s Oicimani Media Center (library) at 952-403-5550. Oicimani Media Center is open Monday through Friday.

“Our strong tribal economy has allowed us to better provide all Community members with the best government services available. With the successes of the SMSC over the last four years, we have strengthened our tribal sovereignty and protected our Dakota culture. The Community, through its Business Council and with the support and confidence of the General Council, has built on the foundation that was laid by our predecessors. Our children, grandchildren, and, the next seven generations to come will have a bright and a healthy future,” said SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks.

The chapter “Caring for Tribal Members” describes services provided by the SMSC for its members which include health and dental services as well as chiropractic care, vision care, and physical therapy. Educational services include afterschool and summer programs, along with college preparatory and special programs such as Artist in Residence, which introduces tribal youth to various forms of art.

Major infrastructure improvements which occurred over the four year period are described. The digging of a new water well, the extension of sewer lines between the north residential area and the Water Reclamation Facility, and the construction of two Reverse Osmosis facilities are highlighted. Over the four year period, the SMSC spent nearly $300 million on infrastructure development and construction.

A section on economic enterprises describes the significant development of tribal non-gaming enterprises, with the opening of Mazopiya, a natural food market, and the Dakotah! Ice Center. Two newly redesigned holes were featured at The Meadows at Mystic Lake. Both Shakopee Dakota Convenience Stores were remodeled and a new customer loyalty program initiated. A Water Bottling Facility began operations. Two “green” buildings were built to LEED standards.

At the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Gaming Enterprise, there were additions and improvements such as the remodel of the interior of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, the opening of the new Italian bistro Il Premio, construction on an outdoor amphitheater, and the installation of a License Plate Recognition system which has helped local law enforcement capture criminals. In 2010 the SMSC Gaming Enterprise was named one of the Star Tribune’s Top Workplaces in the Metro based on a survey of employees, in 2011 one of the Top Workplaces in the state of Minnesota.

The chapter “Caring for the Environment” describes some of the new initiatives undertaken in recent years as well as summarizes successful programs. The growth of Mdewakanton Wozupi, the tribe’s organic garden, first planted in the spring of 2010, and its Tribally Supported Agriculture program is highlighted in the report. The report also features the new 17-acre Organics Recycling Facility which opened in the fall of 2011 to process organic material such as leaves, wood, grass clippings, and food scraps into compost is provided.

With a goal of providing electricity and energy in an environmentally responsible manner, the SMSC continues operation of several energy projects leading to energy self-sufficiency. A highlight of the effort to bring sustainable energy to the SMSC was the installation of a massive 1.5 mw wind turbine at the SMSC Pow Wow Grounds in October 2009. The wind turbine supplies enough electricity to meet nearly all of the Community residential energy demand. Koda Energy, a biomass facility co-owned with Rahr Malting of Shakopee, continues to produce heat and electricity by burning agricultural waste products. Used vegetable oil from tribal restaurants is converted to biodiesel to fuel vehicles and equipment. Excess vegetable oil and motor oil are burned to heat the Public Works Building and garage bays. Geothermal heat and solar energy are also prominent features in the SMSC’s energy initiatives.

A separate chapter covers charitable giving over the four year period which totaled $127,978,110. Of that amount, $115,569,180 went to Indian tribes for economic development and community improvements. Over the same four year period, $253.8 million in loans has been extended to 16 tribes, with a total loan portfolio of $419.1 million.

The chapter “Economic Influence” describes how the SMSC, as the largest employer in Scott County, directs proceeds from tribal government enterprises, including gaming, back into the reservation and surrounding communities. Voluntary payments to local governments, taxes paid, and construction dollars spent are also discussed.

The final chapter illustrates how the SMSC’s maintains government to government relationships by working together for the good of the larger community. More than 78 agreements have been signed between the SMSC and local governments since 1969 covering police and emergency services, road upgrades, emergency sirens, equipment sharing, sales tax agreements, well head protection, protection of burial mounds, cultural resources, ground water policy, traffic signal installation, watershed districts, and more. Joint road construction projects in which the SMSC has participated in recent years include the redevelopment of County Road 83, the extension of County Road 21, and the new intersection at Marshall Road and County Road 42. Since 1996 the SMSC has paid more than $7.5 million for shared local road construction projects and an additional $16.7 million for roads on tribal lands.

Omakatob Wowapi, Four Year Report: 2008-2011, is available at http://www.shakopeedakota.org.