Local tribe donates funds

By Pat Minelli

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota Community in Prior Lake recently made donations to three Twin Cities charitable organizations and a school to benefit youths.

A grant for $35,000 was awarded to the Division of Indian Work for winter coats, hats, and gloves for American Indian students in Minneapolis who receive free or reduced-price lunches. The project is a partnership with the Minneapolis Public Schools Indian Education Program. Both the Division of Indian Works and the Minneapolis Indian Education Program have a long history with the SMDC, which has helped with winter coats for these students for several years.

The Indian Child Welfare Law Center of Minneapolis received $20,000 for continued support. The Law Center provides legal representation, services, and training throughout the state to protect the rights of tribes and tribal children to prevent loss of cultural identity in the court and foster care systems. The center offers trainings about the Indian Child Welfare Act to lawyers, judges, social workers, guardian ad litems, and others. The ICWLC has received a total of $120,000 from the SMDC over the past six years.

Ain Dah Yung of St. Paul, a homeless shelter for American Indian youth, received $20,000 to support programs for youth and their families. Of that amount, $10,000 will support youth programs including emergency shelter, a street outreach project, chemical dependency education, and transitional living services. Family programs include an intensive in-home program, counseling and support, family support program, an alternative response program, youth violence reduction, and children's mental health case management.

Ain Dah Yung also received $10,000 toward repairs and renovations to its emergency shelter and youth lodge facilities. Work needed includes replacement of steps; regrouting of a retaining wall and parts of the exterior brick wall; repainting the trim; repairing the cracked foundation and sidewalk; replacing doors and windows; redoing the kitchen; adding electrical outlets; installing new flooring and a bathroom vent; replacing ceiling tiles and wall board; repairing the garage; and more. Over the last several years, the SMSC has given Ain Dah Yung a total of $206,500.

The Na-Way-Ee Center School of Minneapolis received $2,500 toward the purchase of coats, hats, and gloves for Native American students grades seven through 12. Na-Way-Eee is an alternative school, junior through senior high, located in South Minneapolis.