Shakopee Mdewakanton Award $1 Million Grant to Lac Courte Oreilles

Prior Lake, MN – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community announces a $1 million grant to the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe (LCO) for the first year of their “Mission Possible Project,” a five year action plan to increase the tribe’s economic development and organizational capacity, address financial constraints, and provide community wellness projects for their tribal youth, elders, and veterans.

Several community service programs are funded with a portion of the funds. A Safety Center will be established, funds provided to the tribal police department for a gang intervention specialist, and a Martial Arts Teen Gym renovated and equipped. For tribal elders, transportation services will be provided through purchase of a new van and funding of a travel budget. For the veterans, a new Veterans Memorial will be built.

The remainder of the grant will allow for the tribe to hire experienced business and economic development staff who will be responsible for increasing profit margins for the existing casino, to develop a Ten Year Economic Development Action Plan to diversify the tribal economy, and to develop job opportunities for the tribe. The new staff will include a bond specialist, grant writers, and support staff. Tribal administration and operations will be strengthened by the hiring of contract services to conduct an independent assessment of the tribe’s administrative and financial management practices and to negotiate a deferred revenue matter, as well as develop a corrective action plan to help resolve complex administrative deficiencies.

“The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe is most grateful to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community for the one million dollar grant to carry out our “Mission Possible” goal to strengthen our tribal government and provide essential community services to our people,” said LCO Chairman Gordon C. Thayer.

LCO is one of six bands of the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians who entered into treaties with the United States government in 1837, 1842, and 1854. Located in Sawyer County in northwest Wisconsin, LCO has 7,275 members with 2,306 living on the 76,465-acre reservation. More than 10,000 acres of the reservation are lakes.

In 2010 the SMSC gave the Lac Courte Oreilles Band $568,000 to complete an Early Childhood Center funded by $2.6 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Bill) funds. Requirements of the ARRA grant were such that the project was on a tight deadline to be completed by September 30, 2010. With their other funding source not approved, the project was in danger of being cancelled and the entire ARRA funds lost if the SMSC had not stepped in.