Prior Lake, Minnesota - The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has made donations totaling $290,000 to four charitable organizations which primarily serve Native Americans.

The Division of Indian Works of Minneapolis, Minnesota, received $150,000. Of that amount $50,000 is for general operating expenses and $100,000 is for capital for group homes. For more than 50 years the Division of Indian Works, in partnership with the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, has offered a variety of services for Native American families. Some of their services include a parenting program, a food shelf, a youth mentoring program, emergency assistance, a group home for boys, daily summer activities for children, after school tutoring, cultural activities, holiday meal baskets, foster parents' licensing, and cooking classes. Including this donation of $150,000, the SMSC has made total donations of $1,109,500 to the Division of Indian Works over the past several years.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has made a $90,000 grant to the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The funds will support agency programs. Innovative, holistic programming provides a wide range of services including sexual assault advocacy, a legal services program, family services, a learning center for children, parenting support, pregnancy support, chemical health services, emergency and low-income housing assistance, a library and job training clearinghouse, and outpatient treatment. Established in 1984, the MIWRC works at all levels - individual, family, community, and social service. MIWRC is also a family and community gathering place, hosting healing ceremonies, regular family events, and feast days. With this donation, the SMSC has donated a total of $456,000 to the MIWRC over the past several years.

The Department of Indian Work of St. Paul, Minnesota, received a donation of $30,000 for general operations. For more than 50 years the Department has developed and coordinated programs to empower American Indian people toward self-determination. The DIW also offers a food shelf, parenting skills, youth enrichment, cultural awareness, and diabetes education programs.

The Indian Child Welfare Law Center of Minneapolis, Minnesota, received a donation of $20,000 for general operating support. The Indian Child Welfare Law Center of Minneapolis, Minnesota, provides legal representation, advocacy, support services, and training throughout the state to protect the rights of tribes and tribal children to prevent the loss of cultural identity in the court and foster care systems. The Center has provided legal representation affecting more than 4,000 children, legal advice in another 2,500 cases, and provided other ICWA-related services to parents of more than 1,900 children. The SMSC has donated a total of $140,000 to ICWLC over the past several years.

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