June 29, 2009

SMSC Native American Preference Policy Working to Build Native American Workforce, Businesses

Prior Lake, MN - The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has made a commitment to help build a strong Indian workforce and economy. In addition to a Native American preference program in procurement, all construction contractors selected by the SMSC agree to hire a percentage of Native American employees.

In addition, the SMSC Gaming Enterprise has a Native American Preference Hiring Policy. "Employment preference is provided to Native Americans who have historically been denied equal opportunities to work and to excel," said SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks. "If they meet the minimum requirements for the position, Native American applicants will be interviewed for the position. With an applicant pool that is generally 8-10% Native American, it is noteworthy that candidates selected for positions comprise 12-16% of new hires. This demonstrates that the program works."

Construction Projects Once a primary or general contractor is chosen by the SMSC and project details are established, a required percentage of Native American employees is designated. The percentage varies from 15-25% of all employees, depending on the type of project. Contractors are required to maintain that ratio throughout the project or face penalties.

"The SMSC is cognizant of the severe economic conditions and widespread unemployment that exists among our sovereign people, and therefore, place a moral obligation on contractors for public service projects or contracts to assist in relieving such economically depressed conditions," said Chairman Crooks.

As a result of the SMSC's requirements, PCL Construction of Burnsville, Minnesota, has worked successfully with the SMSC since 1995. They have made a commitment to hire, train, and retain Native American workers. On a current remodel project at Mystic Lake Casino, the PCL crew is 39.29 % Native American hours with a job total (including all subcontractors) of 24.83 % Native American hours. PCL has attained 21,520 Native American hours worked on a total of 53,664 as of the end of March 2009. On the remodel, the Ojibwe company Bald Eagle Erectors had a subcontract for the installation of reinforcing steel.

PCL has built all three hotel towers, the new Little Six Casino, The Buffet, The Meadows at Mystic Lake Clubhouse, two parking garages, a skyway bridge, and the Showroom and Bingo Hall, which opened in the fall of 2007.

Rice Lake Construction of Deerwood, Minnesota, has built several projects for the SMSC in recent years. In 2008 they built the SMSC Water Bottling Facility with 36.55% of employee hours worked by Native Americans. On the SMSC Reverse Osmosis Project completed in 2009, Rice Lake came in at 36.68% employee hours worked by Native Americans. For the Koda Energy biomass project located off the reservation in Shakopee, Minnesota, 19% Native American employee hours were worked.

"Some projects, like the Water Reclamation Facility completed in August 2006, came in 10% over their required number of Native American employees. Rice Lake had a Native American preference percentage of 20% for the project, and they came in at 30% which is phenomenal," said SMSC Assistant Tribal Administrator Janice Bad Moccasin, who has been involved in the recruitment and referral process for the SMSC since 1995.

"We've found that a lot of our contractors will take employees, evaluate their skills, and, based on their skill level and interest, will make them an apprentice so they can join the union. They'll go on to become a journeyman. Often after a project is complete, they will keep the employee when they move on to the next job," said Bad Moccasin. "So we see the program working for everyone."

Native American Preference Purchasing Program One of the other ways that the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community supports economic development in Indian Country is through a Native American Preference Purchasing Program. Staff at the Gaming Enterprise, which includes Mystic Lake Casino Hotel and Little Six Casino, actively seek out Native American owned companies to do business with in the bidding process for services and products.

"Our staff does research and looks for vendors who are Native American. We then offer these companies the opportunity to bid, and we extend preference in bidding to these vendors. Our Board of Directors, which consists solely of members of our tribe, looks at each bid and decides which bids to accept with preference to Native American vendors. We then maintain a database of Native American vendors for reference purposes. Currently, we have 70 Native American vendors who are certified in our database," explained SMSC Secretary/Treasurer Keith B. Anderson, who formerly served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SMSC Gaming Enterprise.

"We serve buffalo meat in our restaurants from a Mdewakanton Dakota buffalo ranch. Another of our popular entrée's is walleye from the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe tribal fishery. We have a lot of windows in our hotel and the company that washes them is owned by an Oglala Sioux. Our menus are printed by a Mdewakanton Dakota company. We get office supplies from a Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe company. We use supplies in our spa that are made on the Spokane Reservation. Steel installation for several of our construction projects has been done by a White Earth Ojibwe company," said Secretary/Treasurer Anderson.

"We are proud to be able to help develop the economy in Indian Country whether it's through purchasing goods or through construction projects," said SMSC Vice-Chairman Glynn A. Crooks. "It's another way that we work to better the larger community."

In related news, in March 2009 the SMSC was honored with the Tribal Gaming Visionary Business Empowerment Award by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. The award recognized "outstanding individuals, organizations, and companies for contributions to economic development and business progress in Indian Country." Secretary/Treasurer Anderson accepted the award at the at the Reservation Economic Summit (RES 2009) Conference and American Indian Business Trade Fair in Las Vegas, Nevada, on behalf of the entire Shakopee Mdewakanton Indian Community.