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Shakopee Mdewakanton Make $1.25 Million in Grants to Benefit Yankton Sioux Tribal Members

Tribe to Receive $1 Million, Boys & Girls Club to Receive $250,000

Prior Lake, MN – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community today announced a total of $1.25 million in grants to benefit members of the Yankton Sioux Tribe of Marty, South Dakota, for fiscal year 2012. A $1 million grant will go directly to the YST whereas a $250,000 grant will go to the Boys & Girls Club of the Missouri River Area.

The larger grant for $1 million will fund a number of tribal programs and initiatives:

-$380,000 for construction of a new temporary tribal hall to replace one damaged by flooding

-$380,000 for new slot machines for the Fort Randall Casino to replace aging machines with outdated technology

-$240,000 for programs, including Aid to Distressed Families; scholarships for higher education and vocational training; high school senior portraits; graduation incentives; the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); Marty Community Post Office; Veterans Officer; litigation expenses to protect tribal jurisdiction in a Supreme Court Case; and stipends for the elderly board.

“The Yankton Sioux Tribe appreciates the numerous donations that you have given us. Your generosity and openheartedness has made much needed projects become a reality for our tribal members,” wrote YST Chairman Thurman Cournoyer in the request letter. “On behalf of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, I give you a sincere “thank you” for the kindness and generosity you have displayed.”

Since 2001 the SMSC has provided more than $9.8 million in grants directly to the YST. The SMSC has also provided customer service training and consultants to assist with community improvement, infrastructure growth, and economic development.

Boys & Girls Club Grant

A separate $250,000 grant went directly to the Boys & Girls Club of the Missouri River Area, which has branches in the towns of Wagner and Marty. These Boys & Girls Clubs are part of a nationwide affiliation of local, autonomous organizations working to help youth of all backgrounds, with special concern for those from disadvantaged circumstances, develop the qualities needed to become responsible citizens and leaders. The Clubs provide Indian youth with a myriad of services including athletic programs, career and health counseling, educational support, and after-school activities.

Patrick Breen, Interim Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of the Missouri River Area, which oversees the Wagner and Marty Clubs, said, “On behalf of the Wagner and Marty Units of the Boys & Girls Club of the Missouri River Area, its Board of Directors, staff, and club members we thank the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community for their generosity. The gift you have provided will help ensure our clubs continue to provide a safe place for our children to learn and grow. The contribution will have a positive impact on hundreds of children in the communities of Wagner and Marty. Words cannot express how much we truly appreciate the continued support you have given to our children.”

Jodi Zephier, Unit Director, Ihanktonwan Unit, said, “The Ihanktonwan Unit would like to express our sincerest and deepest gratitude to Chairman Stanley Crooks, the Business Council, and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Community as a whole for your generous gift. Words cannot truly express just how much your continued support and generosity means to our organization. With the help of the SMSC, our clubs will continue to provide a safe and positive place for the youth in both Wagner and Marty. Pidamaye! (Thank you!)”

Jodi Zephier along with tribal leaders from the Yankton Sioux Tribe including Business and Claims Committee members Jason Cooke, Brenda Zephier, and Gail Hubbeling, presented SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks with a star quilt for the SMSC’s generosity over the years. A star quilt is one of the highest honors a Dakota person can bestow upon another. Jodi explained how the club was in danger of closure due to a lack of funding until the SMSC stepped in with the large grant. Speaking in front of a large crowd, she said directly to SMSC tribal members, “You make a difference. You make a difference every day in the lives of our tribal youth. Thank you is not enough.”

Known as the "Ihanktonwan Dakota Oyate" or "People of the End Village," the Yankton Sioux Tribe has its lands along the Missouri River bottom, in Charles Mix County just across the river from Nebraska. Tribal headquarters are located at Marty, also home to the Marty Indian School. Of the 12,246 tribal members, about a third live on the 43,000-acre reservation.

 

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