SMSC awards 31 scholarships

SMSC Endowed Scholarship Recipients Announced

Prior Lake, Minnesota –The today announced 31 new recipients of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Endowed Scholarship for the 2011-2012 school year. This is the third group of students to receive the scholarship at the University of Minnesota. Nineteen of the first two groups of 29 students will continue to receive the scholarships they were originally awarded for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years; two students have graduated thus far. Continuation of the scholarships is based on grades and financial need. 

“In today’s society, an education is essential, but most especially for our Indian people. We need Indian doctors and dentists, lawyers and engineers. We need Indian teachers and counselors, managers and builders, and journalists.  We need to educate our young people to be prepared to better meet the opportunities that will be available to them and the challenges they will face. We need our young people to protect our tribal sovereignty, and we need them to return to our tribal communities to work to help Indian people,” said SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks.

The SMSC Endowed Scholarship was established in 2008 through a $2.5 million gift from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community into an endowment fund which earns interest which the U of M matches to provide scholarships for American Indian students.

The SMSC scholarship program is designed to recruit and retain talented American Indian students with demonstrated financial need to the University of Minnesota. The SMSC scholarship program is administered by the University's Office for Equity and Diversity. To date, 60 students have received the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Endowed Scholarship.  

The primary goal of the SMSC scholarship program is to support incoming University of Minnesota freshmen and transfer students with demonstrated financial need. A smaller number of scholarships may also be awarded to newly-admitted graduate and professional students in specific disciplines. For undergraduates, scholarships are renewable for up to four years or until graduation (whichever comes first) contingent upon academic performance. For graduate and professional students, the length of funding is contingent upon academic performance, the school of enrollment, and degree program and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The 31 scholarship recipients come from across the Midwest and from a number of different tribes. They come from Arizona, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Illinois, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Fifteen of the students are from Minnesota. Students previously awarded the SMSC Endowed Scholarships come from as far as New York, Utah, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Previous recipients have majors as diverse as Forensic Science to Music to Biochemistry to Dentistry. 

For each cycle applications materials received by March 1 are given preference.  The final deadline is September 1. For more information go to http://www.shakopeedakota.org/scholarships.html. 

The 31 scholarship recipients for the 2011-2012 school year are:

Monica Bailey

Mobridge, South Dakota

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

Pre-Med

Twin Cities Campus

Mika Barrett

St. Paul, Minnesota

Lac Courte Oreilles Band of
Ojibwe 

Pre-Pharmacy

Morris Campus

Alle Bowman

Bemidji, Minnesota

White Earth Nation

Biology

Morris Campus

Veronica Briggs

Minneapolis, Minnesota

White Earth Nation

Architecture

Twin Cities Campus

Darrell Brown Bull Jr.

Kyle, South Dakota

Oglala Sioux Tribe

Master of Tribal Administration and Governance

Duluth Campus

Amber Brunelle 

Cass Lake, Minnesota

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians

Social Work – Graduate Studies

Twin Cities Campus

Jason Champagne  

Grand Forks, North Dakota

Red Lake Band of Chippewa

Public Health Nutrition – Graduate Studies

Twin Cities Campus

Esther Connor

Orr, Minnesota 

Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe

Master of Tribal Administration and Governance

Duluth Campus

Drew Coveyou

Ottawa, Illinois

Sault Sainte Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians

Psychology

Twin Cities Campus

Lee Ann Eastman

Peever, South Daktoa

Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate 

Environmental and Native American Studies

Morris Campus

Alexander Ferris

Belcourt, North Dakota

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians

History/Political Science

Morris Campus

Chato Gonzales

St. Paul, Minnesota

Lac Courte Oreilles Band of
Ojibwe 

American Indian Studies  – Language

Twin Cities Campus

Miigis Gonzales  

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Lac Courte Oreilles Band of
Ojibwe 

Public Health – Graduate Studies

Twin Cities Campus

Lucas Heck

Fergus Falls, Minnesota

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

Business

Morris Campus

Nicholas Heck

Fergus Falls, Minnesota

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

Education

Morris Campus

Chelsea Holmes 

Aberdeen, South Dakota

Rosebud Sioux Tribe

Nursing

Twin Cities Campus

Alayna Johnson

Poplar, Wisconsin

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Environmental Studies

Morris Campus

Justeen Lords  

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation of Montana

Medicine – Graduate Studies

Twin Cities Campus

Samuel Maday

Superior, Wisconsin

Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians

Master of Tribal Administration and Governance

Duluth Campus

Billie Mason

Mt. Iron, Minnesota

Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe

Master of Tribal Administration and Governance

Duluth Campus

Cody Neigel

Eagle Butte, South Dakota

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

Pre-Physical Therapy

Morris Campus

Brandon One Feather

Black Hawk, South Dakota

Oglala Sioux Tribe 

Biochemistry

Twin Cities Campus

Teresa Peterson

Belview, Minnesota

Upper Sioux Community/Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate

Doctorate of Education (Ed.D)

Duluth Campus

Coridon Quinn 

Duluth, Minnesota

Cherokee 

Medicine – Graduate Studies

Duluth Campus

Kebra Rogers

Pierre, South Dakota

Rosebud Sioux Tribe

Physical Therapy

Morris Campus

Leah Savage

Cloquet, Minnesota

Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe

Master of Tribal Administration and Governance

Duluth Campus

Jason Schleader

Bayfield, Wisconsin

Lac Courte Oreilles Band of
Ojibwe 

Master of Tribal Administration and Governance

Duluth Campus

Corey Strong

Tower, Minnesota

Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe

Master of Tribal Administration and Governance

Duluth Campus

Chally Topping-Thompson

Cloquet, Minnesota

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Master of Tribal Administration and Governance

Duluth Campus

Carol Wuollet

Brookston, Minnesota

Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe

Master of Tribal Administration and Governance

Duluth Campus

Tia Yazzie

Blue Gap, Arizona

Navajo

Psychology

Twin Cities Campus

About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

The SMSC utilizes its financial resources from gaming and non-gaming enterprises to pay for the internal infrastructure of the Tribe, including but not limited to roads, water and sewer systems, emergency services, and essential services to its Tribal members in education, health, and welfare. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has a charitable giving program which comes from a cultural and social tradition to assist those in need.

Over the past 15 years, the SMSC has donated more than $215.7 million to Indian Tribes, charitable organizations, schools, and Native American organizations. The SMSC has also made more than $396 million in loans to other tribes for economic development projects. Since 1996 the SMSC paid more than $7.5 million for shared local road construction projects and an additional $16.7 million for road projects on the reservation. The SMSC has also paid $12.7 million to local governments for services and another $5 million for other projects.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Minnesota, is the owner and operator of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, Mazopiya, Playworks, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, The Meadows at Mystic Lake, Shakopee Dakota Convenience Stores, and other enterprises on a reservation south of the Twin Cities. 

This press release and other information may be downloaded from the SMSC website at www.shakopeedakota.org.