CROOKS FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS ANNOUNCED

Funeral arrangements for Chairman Stanley Crooks now are confirmed. Visitation will begin at 5 pm Tuesday, August 28, at the Tiowakan Spiritual Center on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Reservation. Eulogies and remarks by guests will begin at 7 pm. The visitation and traditional vigil will continue through the night. The funeral service will be held at Tiowakan at 11 am on Wednesday, August 29. 

Since Tiowakan Spiritual Center has limited seating capacity, covered overflow seating will be provided adjacent to the Center, where video and audio feed of the service will be available. No parking will be available at the Center, so please follow directional signage on Highway 83 to designated parking areas, where shuttle service will be provided. 

The Star-Tribune and Pioneer Press obituaries for Chairman Crooks include an on-line Guest Book for those wishing to leave messages of condolence.

"THIS QUIET, UNASSUMING MAN..." A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO CHAIRMAN CROOKS

Long-time MIGA lobbyist Andy Kozak, who worked closely with Chairman Stan Crooks for more than twenty years, posted this comment and photo on his Facebook page yesterday. It is a heartfelt tribute, and one that expresses what many who worked with Stan Crooks are feeling today.

"This quiet, unassuming man, Stanley Crooks, for 22 years led the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Tribe that tendered more financial help to other Native American tribes than any tribe in American history. And when thanks were offered to Stan, his reply was always the same: the thanks belongs to the tribal members who elected him to serve.

"Stan was exceptionally smart in politics and business. He was fearless and shrewd when facing threats to his or any other Minnesota tribe. Yet he was also wise and magnanimous. His life's work was to secure the future well-being of the Shakopee Dakota people, and in his role as Chairman of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, the future of all Minnesota tribes.

"He was strong willed to say the least, but he would always hear out contrary arguments - a rare quality in powerful leaders--so that his decisions were well informed, timely and often ingenious.

"He was a client for two decades. He demanded our best effort and in return we received his most precious gift: his friendship. With the resources the tribe entrusted to him, he combined a great and generous heart and his array of talents to help make life better for literally thousands of people.

"Those of us who worked closely with him know how truly special he was in so many ways. Earning his trust and friendship is surely one of our most treasured accomplishments. We will miss him.

"You've earned all of God's blessings, Stan."

LEGISLATIVE, CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS COMMENT ON PASSING OF CHAIRMAN CROOKS

U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN) issued the following statement yesterday on the death of Chairman Stanley Crooks:

“The passing of Chairman Stanley Crooks is a tremendous loss for Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, for all tribal Nations, and for anyone who worked closely with him.  Chairman Crooks’ leadership transformed his community and made him a highly respected national figure.

Chairman Crooks touched many, many lives in a way that gave hope, opportunity, and dignity to Native American families and communities in need.  He was a visionary and a proud leader for whom I have tremendous appreciation, respect, and fondness. I would like to extend my prayers and deepest sympathies to Chairman Crooks’ family, the entire Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, and all who encountered his generosity and profound spirit.”

Also yesterday, Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Kurt Zellers issued this statement:

"Today, Minnesota lost a great leader in Chairman Stanley Crooks. His legacy of helping people in need and working hard to improve the lives of American Indians will endure in Minnesota's history. Stanley was a remarkable and wise leader who did an enormous amount of good in his life, not only for his own tribe, but for many people all across the Midwest. He was not only a great individual leader, but a great Minnesotan. It was a privilege to know Stanley and I am proud to call him a personal friend. My family and I send my condolences and prayers to Stanley's family and the members of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community."

 

 

MIGA MOURNS LOSS OF CHAIRMAN STANLEY CROOKS

Minnesota Indian tribes are mourning the loss of Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) Chairman Stanley Crooks, who passed away today at St. Francis Medical Center in Shakopee, MN.

Crooks, 70, had led MIGA since 1992, shortly after being elected to his first term as chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. He brought unprecedented stability and continuity to his tribe and MIGA during more than two decades of service.

“It is hard to find the words to express the extent of the loss we have suffered today,” said MIGA Executive Director John McCarthy. “Chairman Crooks was one of the most respected and admired leaders in all of Indian country, but he was also a beloved friend and colleague to many of us who have worked with him over the past twenty years.”

Under Crooks’ leadership, MIGA became an influential advocate on behalf of tribes in Minnesota and nationally.

“Stan Crooks was a tireless warrior for sovereignty and tribal rights,” said McCarthy. “He wasn’t afraid to take on the tough fights, even when it meant going toe to toe with powerful politicians in St. Paul as well as Washington DC. For Stan, it was all about protecting the future so tribes wouldn’t have to repeat the past.”

Funeral arrangements are pending. 

TPT'S ALMANAC AIRS INTERVIEW WITH CHAIRMAN STANLEY CROOKS

In a rare TV interview last week, Chairman Stanley Crooks of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) told TPT "Almanac" reporter Mary LaHammer that he and Canterbury Park President Randy Sampson reached their historic joint marketing agreement after "a great conversation" that lasted only two hours. "The handlers took it from there," he said.

Despite the deal, Crooks said he thinks the pressure for expanded gambling isn't likely to go away, given the state's continuing budget deficit problems. "The racino issue may be quieted somewhat, but there's plenty of clamor still out there," he said.

LaHammer asked Chairman Crooks about the hundreds of millions of dollars his tribe has donated to charitable causes and other Native nations. "You have to remember that we didn't have a lot back in the '60s when our community was first recognized," he responded. "It's just part of our culture--you use what you need, and you share the excess." The total so far is approaching one billion dollars--about half a billion in loans, and over $200 million in grants. 

The interview also touched on the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the Dakota Conflict, which led to the December, 1862 hanging of 32 Sioux warriors by order of President Abraham Lincoln. The event remains the largest mass government execution in American history. "Certainly it's on the minds of a lot of Dakota people," Crooks said. "It's very close to us."

Chief Shakopee, for whom the Shakopee community was named, was one of those hung. Crooks is a descendant of friendly Sioux who helped white settlers escape harm during the conflict, but most of those Indians were exiled from Minnesota. A handful of families remained behind or returned, forming the tiny community that eventually won federal recognition in 1969.

"People ask how we were able to set up a village next to the Twin Cities," he said. "We were always here. In hindsight, we're grateful that the Twin Cities got built; if they hadn't been, we wouldn't be so successful."

After twenty years as SMSC Chairman, Crooks commented on his legacy. "I find all we've been able to accomplish astounding, and I'm humbled to have been able to play a role. Of those to whom much is given, much is expected. That's kind of my belief anyway."

MYSTIC-CANTERBURY JOINT AGREEMENT TAKES RACINO OFF TABLE

Mystic Lake Casino, an enterprise of the Shakopee Mdewkanton Sioux Community (SMSC), has entered into a long-term joint marketing agreement with Canterbury Park that takes racinos off the table for ten years, fostering growth at both properties and preserving rural jobs in gaming and the horse industry.


The agreement was described by Canterbury Park President and CEO Randy Sampson as "a milestone that will mark the rebound of Minnesota horse racing and our local equine industry." Under its terms, Mystic Lake will contribute $75 million over ten years to enhance purses at the track, and another $8.5 million over that period to fund joint marketing efforts. In exchange, Canterbury Park will no longer pursue legislation authorizing racinos in Minnesota, and will join forces with SMSC to defeat other proposals for gambling expansion that could hurt both businesses. Other joint promotional efforts will be developed as well.


SMSC Chairman Stanley Crooks said the agreement offers advantages to both parties. In addition to preserving rural jobs for Minnesota, he said, "it lets us focus on the broader interests that we share."

Mystic Lake CEO Ed Stevenson explained that the partnership would enhance the branding of the southwest metro area as "the premier entertainment and gaming destination in Minnesota and the midwest, while providing significant financial support to horse racing at Canterbury Park and much-needed stimulus to the Minnesota equine industry.”


The deal was initiated by Canterbury officials at the suggestion of Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Kurt Zellers, who urged Sampson to contact SMSC and explore possible joint efforts.


Minnesota tribes have been fighting the racino proposals for nearly fifteen years, fearing that legalizing slot machines at race tracks would open the door to slots in bars, restaurants, shopping malls and other venues statewide. The deal between Mystic Lake and Shakopee probably takes those other options off the table for the foreseeable future, according to Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem, who authored the racino bill in the 2012 session.


In a June 5 MinnPost story, Senjem said, "My sense is that discussion of a larger-scale gaming effort in Minnesota, at least at this point without racino, is probably over for a while. I don’t sense any other cause that would bring it to the floor that can’t and shouldn’t otherwise be addressed through … building a strong and robust Minnesota economy."


John McCarthy, executive director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA), agreed. "Many people who wouldn't otherwise have supported gambling expansion felt obligated to support the racino because Minnesota's horse industry was in pretty bad shape and needed the boost. Now that racino is off the table, I can't think of another expansion scheme that has anywhere near enough public or legislative support to pass, at least in the near future."

For a sampling of media coverage of the story, follow these links:

MinnPost, June 5, James Nord

Star Tribune, June 6, Rachel Blount

Star Tribune, June 6, Tony Kennedy

Pioneer Press, June 4, Steve Karnowski

RACINO BILL MAY BE DEAD FOR SESSION

A racino bill passed by the Minnesota Senate Finance Committee on March 30 may be dead for the 2012 session, according to yesterday's edition of "Hot Dish Politics," a political blog written by Star-Tribune reporter Rachel Stassen-Berger.

According to Stassen-Berger, Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem, a racino supporter, said "the idea lacks a majority of backers in the House and Senate."

"I think we are perhaps a little short right now...the stark reality is that it would be difficult," Senjem reportedly said.

The blog also reports that the bill was supposed to receive consideration in the Senate Rules committee, which Senjem chairs, but that he "has no plans to hold a hearing on it."