Prior Lake, Minnesota - The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community announces a donation of $150,536 to support public television programming. The Native Report series, out of WDSE-8 in Duluth, Minnesota, is an entertaining, informative magazine style series that celebrates Native American culture and heritage, listens to tribal elders, and talks to some of the most powerful and influential leaders of Indian Country today.

The SMSC grant will be used to purchase equipment to transition Native Report from analog to high definition digital broadcast. In February 2009 all broadcasters will be required to switch to digital broadcast. Currently, Native Report is shot in analog. Once the show transitions to high definition digital, it will be eligible for the PBS high definition channel and be more attractive for all PBS stations across the country, according to Native Report Executive Producer Juli Kellner.

The series promotes understanding between cultures, tribes, and reservations; offers a venue for the stories of challenge and success coming from tribal communities; and educates public television viewers about the culture and traditions of native citizens. Native Report is hosted by Stacey Thunder (Red Lake Nation) and Tadd Johnson (Bois Forte Band of Chippewa).

The Native Report series is offered at no charge to all public television stations in the United States and is currently seen in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, California, Wisconsin, Virginia, Alaska, California, New York, Florida, Wyoming, and Michigan.

"Funding from the Shakopee Tribe has enabled us to cover a larger geographic area of Indian Country, to tell the stories that otherwise might not be told, and bring those stories to a wider public television audience," said Kellner.

In 2008 Native Report is moving ahead with two interns this summer who will contribute segments to episodes. “This would not all have happened with the support of the SMSC,” said Kellner. “We’re also working on our advisory committee, hearing from all over Indian Country and getting story ideas.” “Thanks to our funders, we distribute Native Report free of charge to all public television stations, which then broadcast their programming free to their viewers,” she explained. Copies of the first three seasons of Native Report have been donated to Minnesota schools, libraries, learning centers, resource centers, and nursing homes.

"Native Report provides good information while covering Indian Communities in an interesting, informative way. We are happy to be able to support this fine program on public television," said SMSC Tribal Chairman Stanley Crooks.

In fiscal year 2007 the SMSC made a donation of $80,000 to support Native Report. The SMSC also supported Almanac at the Capitol, a public affairs program produced by Twin Cities Public Television with a grant for $25,000 for each of the last few years. For more information on Native Report, go to www.wdse.org or call (218) 724-8567.

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