Minnesota Community Foundation Announces Name of Indian Fund and First Grant Award

The Minnesota Community Foundation, St. Paul, in partnership with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and Prairie Island Indian Community, announced the name of the fund the three tribes established in March.

According to Shakopee Mdewakanton chairman Stanley Crooks, the name of the fund—the Minnesota Tribal Government Foundation—reflects the three principal donor tribes that are federally recognized tribal governments and their commitment to helping other tribal governments in Minnesota and people living on or near reservations. “This fund is an opportunity for us to further extend our hand to Indian People across Minnesota,” said Crooks. “This fund is in addition to what we already give.” Last year alone, the three tribes gave $11.5 million to various causes.

The Minnesota Tribal Government Foundation plans to award its first $100,000 grant to the Family Advocacy Center of Northern Minnesota in Bemidji. The center assists victims of crimes in northern Minnesota and is supported by local tribes. “We are very pleased to award the Family Violence Center with our foundation’s inaugural grant,” said Prairie Island Tribal Council president Doreen Hagen. “It was important to us to launch this historic foundation by reaching out and supporting northern tribal communities that continue to experience difficult times and whose needs have been compounded by recent tragedy.”

Mille Lacs Band chief executive Melanie Benjamin said, “The focus for the upcoming fiscal year will be economic development on Minnesota reservations.” The new fiscal year will begin October 1, 2005, and applications for grants in the first year will be limited to Indian tribes in Minnesota. The guidelines for grant applications will be made available after August 1.

Judi Dutcher, president of the Minnesota Community Foundation, said, “We are thrilled to be working with the tribes on this unique fund that will benefit so many Indian people in Minnesota.”

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