Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Receives $1 Million in Shakopee Mdewakanton Funds

Prior Lake, MN – A $1 million grant from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of South Dakota will fund continuing efforts to restore their financial condition. The grant will specifically fund administrative related costs, accounts payable, consulting, and audits. Specifically the grant will be broken down as follows:

-$505,576 for administrative related costs

-$194,000 to accounts payable

-$30,000 for a CPA

-$150,000 for financial consulting

-$80,000 for the fy2011 audit

-$40,000 for legal consulting for the BIA 638 contract

“The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe is currently in the position of rebuilding and correcting issues that occurred over a long period of time from previous tribal council members’ decisions and actions which put the tribe in its current financial position. As a result, we need this money to operate in order for us to correct the past financial issues and allow us to get to the position of actually pursuing a positive economic development program,” said Crow Creek Chairman Wilfred Keeble.

He continued, “We were in a bad situation here, but there’s definitely been a change for the better. I really appreciate the help we got from Shakopee. Our tribal members and the reservation citizens greatly appreciate Shakopee funding this grant which will enable the tribe to continue going forward and to change the atmosphere and the operations of the tribe to the betterment of the general council and of the generations to follow. Shakopee has real good intentions to help other tribes. Thank you to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Community and Business Council.”

Crow Creek Tribal Treasurer Peter Lengkeek said, “There’s light at the end of the tunnel now. I don’t have the words for the gratitude and appreciation for Shakopee right now. It’s immense. The Shakopee Tribe believes in strengthening Indian Country. Now there’s financial accountability and financial transparency here. Shakopee sent consultants out here to help us straighten things out. It’s because of Shakopee, their heart and their help, that we’re in the position we’re in now.”

SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks commented on the grant. “We see the Crow Creek Sioux Tribal Council working hard to correct mistakes made in the past so that they can better take care of their people and provide a future for their grandchildren and subsequent generations. As relatives, it is our duty as Dakota people to help them.”

In 2010 the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community provided a $2.7 million SMSC loan to buy back 7,200 acres of tribal land that was seized by the Internal Revenue Service and sold at public auction in December 2009. 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.