Prior Lake, Minn. – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) has awarded a $250,000 grant to the Lower Sioux Indian Community of Morton, Minnesota, for community recreation and crisis intervention. This grant is part of the SMSC’s most recent round of more than $10 million in grants awarded to 18 American Indian tribes in eight states.

The Lower Sioux Recreation Center will receive $205,000, which will be used to help with cultural programs, after-school nutrition, arts and crafts, a computer lab where children can do homework after school, and the installation of a solar energy system. The remaining $45,000 will go toward crisis intervention efforts.

The Lower Sioux Indian Community is located in Redwood County in the Minnesota River Valley of south central Minnesota. Approximately 145 families live on 1,743 acres of tribal land. A total tribal population of 982 resides throughout a 10-mile service area and beyond.

In recent years the SMSC has made a $28 million loan to the Lower Sioux to fund debt consolidation and donated $3.3 million for the completion of the Lower Sioux’s Children’s Youth Center, the addition of a fitness room, and other tribal projects.

About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is a federally recognized, sovereign Indian tribe located southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul. With a focus on being a good neighbor, good steward of the earth, and good employer, the SMSC is committed to community partnerships, charitable donations, a healthy environment, and a strong economy. The SMSC and the SMSC Gaming Enterprise (Mystic Lake Casino Hotel and Little Six Casino) are the largest employer in Scott County. Out of a Dakota tradition to help others, the SMSC has also donated nearly $272 million since 1992, including more than $152 million to other tribes, tribal organizations, and American Indian causes.