Prior Lake, Minnesota - With the renovation of Hotel Tower 2 at Mystic Lake Casino, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is donating eight floors of furniture to Indian tribes. The renovation is part of the long term “Master Plan” for development of the Gaming Enterprise approved by the SMSC General Council in 2002.

Furniture recipients include the Yankton Sioux Tribe (South Dakota), the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (North/South Dakota), the Spirit Lake Tribe (North Dakota), the Santee Sioux Nation (Nebraska), the Rosebud Sioux Tribe (South Dakota), and the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe (South Dakota). Two additional floors of furniture from the suite level will be donated this summer. The tribes will use the furniture in a variety of ways. Some tribes will use the furniture in their enterprises. The Rosebud and Spirit Lake Tribes will use it to serve tribal elders.

Each tribe will receive one floor of furniture which will fill approximately two semi trucks. The SMSC is also donating the moving costs. The total donation is valued at more than $150,000. The donations began the week of January 28, 2008. The last floor of furniture left Mystic Lake Casino Hotel on March 10, 2008.

Each donation contains a mixture of furniture from 28 rooms, including king and queen size beds; wall mirrors; night stands; lamps; tables; chairs; ottomans; armoires; televisions; and artwork. “We are happy that this furniture will be put to good use by these tribes to help their people,” said SMSC Chairman Stanley Crooks.

In 2007 the SMSC also donated eight floors of hotel furniture to tribes and the urban Indian community in Minneapolis.

Mystic Lake Casino opened in May 1992 with the first hotel tower opening in August 1996. A second hotel tower opened in 2000 with a third tower in 2005. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community celebrated 25 years of Indian Gaming in October 2007.

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