Shakopee Mdewakanton Awards $1 Million Grant to Sokaogon Chippewa Community of Mole Lake
Prior Lake, Minn. – A $1 million grant from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) will help fund several community improvement and economic development projects for the Sokaogon Chippewa Community of Mole Lake, Wisconsin. 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 grant will fund a number of Sokaogon Chippewa Community projects:
$475,000 to complete road, water and sewer infrastructure for a new housing area and construct three energy-efficient housing units
$369,000 to conduct a needs assessment for Mole Lake Casino and Bingo, perform a feasibility and marketing study, develop a comprehensive business plan for the casino and tribal government, and cover related training and other costs
$61,000 for weatherization upgrades and the installation of new furnaces/boilers as needed in 11 FEMA trailers
$50,000 for transportation, food and activity costs related to the Sokaogon Chippewa Elderly Program
$26,000 to complete the second phase of a new fish hatchery complex
$19,000 for a new gym floor and kitchen area partition in the Cultural Youth Education Resource Center
“On behalf of the entire Sokaogon Chippewa Tribal Community, I would like to thank you for your generosity and assistance with the $1 million grant,” wrote Tribal Chairman Chris McGeshick in a recent letter. “The timing of the grant and your willingness to help our Tribe is truly an honor. I would sincerely like to thank you for the interest you have shown in rebuilding our community.”
SMSC Chairman Charlie Vig, who met with Chairman McGeshick to discuss the grant, said, “Helping the Sokaogon Chippewa Community with such a variety of worthy projects will make a big difference in the lives of Community members. Providing grants to other tribes and tribal causes is the SMSC’s highest giving priority.”
About one-third of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community’s 1,270 members live on a 1,700-acre reservation in northeast Wisconsin. The Mole Lake area boasts hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails, as well as trails for hiking, mountain biking, ATV riding, and cross-country skiing. The area also has more than 800 lakes, 82 trout streams, and 400,000 acres of public wilderness land.
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.