BringMeTheNews

February 21, 2012SMSC supports Bridging’s mission by washing blankets, donating linens

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Each Christmas generous donors give gently used blankets to the local charitable organization Bridging. For the past nine years, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Laundry Facility has quietly washed those blankets to prepare them for distribution to local families.

February 19, 2012Lisa Lampanelli coming to Mystic Lake

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Known as “The Lovable Comedy Queen of Mean,” Lisa Lampanelli brings her brand of raunchy, gut-busting comedy to the Mystic Showroom at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel on Friday, March 30.

February 17, 2012Building a fair and stable economy for Indian Country

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In his State of the Union address, President Obama laid out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers and a renewal of American values. This week, the President released a budget that illustrates how we put that blueprint to work.

February 13, 2012Mazopiya wins excellence in construction award

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The natural food market Mazopiya was honored recently for excellence along with its contractor Shingobee Builders at the Associated Builders and Contractors’ Excellence in Construction Awards program.

February 12, 2012Shingobee earns “Excellence in Construction” award

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Shingobee has been honored with a Pyramid Award in Associated Builders and Contractors Minnesota Chapter Excellence in Construction Awards competition, for Shingobee’s work on Mazopiya, in Prior Lake.

February 8, 2012SMSC Endowed Scholarship at U of M applications available

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The SMSC Endowed Scholarship was established in 2008 through a $2.5 million gift from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community into a matching endowment fund, creating a $5 million endowment to provide scholarships for American Indian students.

February 6, 2012SMSC celebrates end of an era and beginning of a new one

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The newly elected Business Council took its oath of office in the Grand Ballroom at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks began his sixth term as Chairman. Secretary/Treasurer Keith B. Anderson began his third term in office, and Vice-Chairman Charlie Vig began his first term.

February 3, 2012Tritt, Creedence Clearwater Revisited to headline music festival

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Grammy award-winning country singer Travis Tritt will headline on Friday, July 13, and legendary rockers Creedence Clearwater Revisited have top billing for Saturday, July 14.

February 1, 2012SMSC business council sworn in Tuesday

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Elected leaders of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community took the oath of office yesterday at a inaugural ceremony at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel grand ballroom.

January 30, 2012Organics recycling facility building positive intergovernmental relations

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Each day at lunch, children in the Prior Lake Savage School district put their leftovers and their biodegradable paper products into a special bin. Empty milk cartons, napkins, and thick cardboard pressed trays are collected along with food waste and then transported to the nearby SMSC Organics Recycling Facility. Twelve weeks later, these materials have been transformed into usable compost, decomposed organic matter rich in nutrients which can be used as a soil amendment.

January 25, 2012Traveling exhibit ‘Why Treaties Matter’ comes to the Capitol

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The free Treaties Exhibit may be viewed in the North Corridor at the Minnesota State Capitol Building in St. Paul which is open year round Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m.

January 20, 2012Why Treaties Matter: A professional development opportunity for educators

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The program, which is being held in conjunction with the showing of the exhibition “Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations” at the Minnesota State Capitol Jan. 24-31, will feature content presentations on tribal sovereignty, treaties, and treaty rights, and resources educators can incorporate into their classrooms, and a trip to the Capitol to view the exhibit.

January 11, 2012Constitution prohibits gambling proposals to help finance Vikings stadium

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Tribal casinos exist in Minnesota and throughout the country because of the Indian Gambling Regulatory Act, which was passed by Congress in 1988 and supersedes state gambling prohibitions.

December 23, 2011American Indian College Fund President is honored

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Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund has been honored for his dedicated service to American Indian students and their community.

December 19, 2011Shakopee Mdewakanton release Omakatob Wowapi, Four Year Report: 2008-2011

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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.

December 12, 2011Shakopee Mdewakanton donate more than $227,000 to brighten holidays

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To share in the holiday spirit, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community awarded $227,160 in charitable donations for the 2011 holiday season. The donations, which went to 44 social service organizations mostly in the Twin Cities, are providing toys, clothing, food, activities, and other gifts for families this holiday season.

November 30, 2011Mdewakanton Emergency Services wins national EMS award

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The award was presented Nov. 10 by the National Native American Emergency Medical Services Association at their annual conference in Las Vegas.

November 24, 2011Column: Giving thanks for native sovereignty

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It seems fitting that Native American Heritage Month coincides with the time of year when our country celebrates Thanksgiving – after all, the story of the first Thanksgiving shared by the pilgrims and Indians remains one of the most notable moments in our history, remembered and recounted year after year.

February 20, 2012Native American Tanka bars becoming mainstream

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A South Dakota company created to provide a healthy snack for American Indians expects its sales to grow by a third this year after seeing its product picked up by national grocery chain Whole Foods Markets.

February 18, 2012NIEA President Roman Nose: “The whole United States is Indian country”

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“Now, more than ever, Native communities should now have the choice of ‘excellent education’ for their students,” declared National Indian Education Association President Quinton Roman Nose during the State of Native Education Address at the 15th Annual National Indian Education Association Legislative Summit.

February 16, 2012The Red Cliff Ojibwe triple their hospitality with new resort-casino

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A $23.5 million loan from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux in Minnesota helped to finance the new resort and casino Legendary Waters.

February 13, 2012Indian gaming: Helping tribes, helping Minnesota

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Tribal government gaming is not a special privilege; rather, it is a direct result of tribal sovereignty. It is a right that tribes retained when they relinquished rights to their land. As sovereign governments, tribes cannot be taxed or bullied by other governments. All tribes retained their sovereignty, their powers of self-government over their lands and members.

February 8, 2012American Indians recognize enduring effects of the Dawes Allotment Act today

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February 8 is a monumental day to Indian people as we live with the enduring effects of the Dawes Allotment Act — passed on that infamous day in 1887. Much of Indian Land Tenure Foundation’s work is necessary because of this devastating piece of legislation and the 90 million of acres of reservation land that Indian people have lost as a result.

February 6, 2012Building Bridges Conference to focus on Native American history

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Gustavus Adolphus College will host the 17th annual student-led Building Bridges Conference on Saturday, March 10. This year’s conference, “Unresolved Conflict: Remember Our Forgotten History,” will place a spotlight on the impact of colonization on Native American Indian history and culture in both the past and present.

February 1, 2012New book looks at how gaming is shaping the politics of American Indian tribes

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The advent of gaming on Indian reservations has created a new kind of tribal politics over the past three decades. Using case studies of major Indian gaming states, the authors analyze the interplay of tribal governance, state politics, and federalism, and illustrate the emergence of reservation governments as political power brokers.

January 30, 2012Column: Tribal slots and casinos get abundant review

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Johnny Johnson, tribal council president of the Prairie Island Indian Community, writes in the Star Tribune that recent stories of loosely-regulated gambling in Minnesota leave readers misinformed. “Minnesota’s tribal casinos are among the most heavily regulated casinos in the United States — that includes private casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City,” he writes.

January 27, 2012Tribal gaming at the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community: A heavily regulated game

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Recent print news articles suggest the biggest tribal casinos in the state, including Mystic Lake Casino Hotel operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, have gone years without inspections to validate the integrity of slots and table games. Unfortunately, this information is factually incorrect and misleading.

January 20, 2012Column: Tribes are about more than gambling

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Leaders of Minnesota’s tribal communities remind readers of the Star Tribune that the state is home to 11 American Indian tribal governments, whose main job is to serve the needs of members through health care, education and other services.

January 18, 2012Mystic Comedy Night set for Feb. 4

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A trio of comedians is coming together for one hilarious show at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. Chad Daniels, Pete Lee and Tim Harmston will share the Mystic Showroom stage during Mystic Comedy Night on Saturday, Feb. 4.

January 12, 2012American Indian wins vacated state House seat in Minneapolis

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Minneapolis voters elected the first American Indian woman to the Legislature on Tuesday night in the latest of several special elections.

January 8, 2012Chain of Hearts Campaign to benefit Gillete Children’s Specialty Healthcare

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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, South Metro Federal Credit Union is kicking off its Chain of Hearts campaign. The public is invited to stop by South Metro’s main branch behind the Dakota Mall, across from Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, to make a donation.

January 3, 2012Jackson Elementary School AED donation

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Through the Mdewakanton LIFE Program, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community donates Automated External Defibrillators to tribes, schools, police and fire departments, and charitable organizations.

January 1, 2012Obama: Relations with tribes at turning point

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President Barack Obama met for the third time with Native American tribal leaders last month, signing an executive order on tribal colleges and assuring them “you have a president that’s got your back.”

December 19, 2011Easing federal paternalism over Indian land leasing

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In a move requested by tribes for decades, the federal government is easing its rules for the approval of leases on lands that the federal government holds in trust for tribes and individuals.

December 13, 2011Poll finds support for tribal sovereignty

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The survey found that the overwhelming majority of respondents supported honoring longstanding treaties between the government and tribes.