Prior Lake, Minnesota - The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community announces a grant for $1,000,000 to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians for construction of a health clinic. Their previous clinic was destroyed by an electrical fire in July 2006.

The Bad River Band is located in northern Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Superior. With a total membership of over 7,000, approximately 2,300 live on or near the reservation. Nearly 22% of the reservation population is below the poverty level, and according to the 2000 U.S. Census, Bad River has the fourth highest poverty level in the state of Wisconsin. For many tribal families, health insurance is an impossibility and the Bad River Health Clinic is the main medical provider. At the time of the fire, the clinic had a patient registry of 4,193, offering services including direct patient care, a laboratory, and pharmacy.

The health clinic also housed other health programs including Contract Health Services, Medical Benefits Outreach, Project Heart Watch (aimed at reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in Native people, especially diabetics), and Project Honor Our Women (aimed at combating obesity and the development of diabetes in Native American women). According to Bad River Tribal Chairman Eugene Bigboy in the request letter written in 2007, “These services are vital to the health and survival of our community members.”

An assessment by the Indian Health Services identified the need for a 25,000 square foot facility for both health and dental services to replace the one destroyed by fire. The $6 million facility will be funded by insurance, a Housing and Urban Development grant, and the Bad River Band. The total unmet need after the SMSC grant is $3.5 million.

In fiscal year 2006 the SMSC gave the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa a grant for $7,500 for a playground.

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