Prior Lake, Minnesota - Tribal elders are the wisdom keepers, the guardians of tradition. Their knowledge and insight provides guidance for leaders to remember where they came from in planning for the future. To help improve the standard of living for tribal elders, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community announces a $1,000,000 grant for fiscal year 2008 to the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe in Flandreau, South Dakota, to fund construction of a Senior Independent Living Project.

In fiscal year 2007 the SMSC helped provide start up construction costs for the project, which is desperately needed to give tribal elders a safe and comfortable place to live on the reservation. It will also help provide more and better jobs for tribal members.

In fiscal year 2007 the $1 million grant to the Flandreau Tribe from the SMSC also funded economic development efforts for their newspaper, the Dakota/Lakota Journal.

In fiscal year 2006 the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community made a $1 million grant to the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe for purchase of a convenience store; in fiscal year 2005 the SMSC made a $350,000 grant to them to purchase equipment for the Lakota and Dakota Journal newspapers.

^ top ^