Stanley R. Crooks (November 27, 1941 – August 25, 2012) served as the Chairman of the

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) ( Dakota: ''Bdemayaṭo Oyate'') is a federally recognized, sovereign Indian tribe of Mdewakanton Dakota people, located southwest of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, within parts of the cities of Pr ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

from 1992 until his death in August 2012. Crooks became a national Native American leader during his twenty-year tenure. He served in the

National Congress of American Indians The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is an American Indian and Alaska Native rights organization. It was founded in 1944 to represent the tribes and resist federal government pressure for termination of tribal rights and assimilat ...

, the longtime chairman of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, and the representative of the Shakopee Mdewakanton to the National Indian Gaming Association.

Biography

Early life

Crooks' father, Norman Crooks, served as the first Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. Stanley Crooks served in the United States Navy during the height of the

Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the Unite ...

Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

Crooks was elected Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in 1992, the same year that the tribe's Mystic Lake Casino opened on the reservation. Crooks defeated his cousin, the incumbent Chairman Leonard Prescott, who had overseen the construction of the casino, in the 1992 tribal election. He would serve six-terms as chairman, spanning twenty years from 1992 to 2012. Crooks oversaw the economic boom resulting from the launch of the

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...

. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux employs more than 4,100 people for its casino and non-casino related businesses, with a total

payroll A payroll is the list of employees of some company that is entitled to receive payments as well as other work benefits and the amounts that each should receive. Along with the amounts that each employee should receive for time worked or tasks pe ...

of more than $154 million, as of 2012. Under Crooks, the Shakopee Mdewakanton donated more than $243 million to Native American organizations and other charities between 1996 and 2012. It has also issued more than $500 million in loans for

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals a ...

since the 1990s. Stanley Crooks died of a heart attack at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in

Shakopee, Minnesota Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is located southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of ...

, on August 25, 2012, at the age of 70. He was survived by his wife Cheryl, and two daughters, Cherie and Alisa. Vice Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community,

Charlie Vig Charlie Vig is the former Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota. Vig served as the Vice Chairman from January 2012 until August 2012. He then served as Chairman from August 2012 to January 2020. The Shakopee Mdewakanto ...

, succeeded Crooks as Chairman following his death, as required by the Shakopee Mdewakanton constitution. The tribal secretary and treasurer Keith B. Anderson became the new Vice Chairman. Vig called Crooks "a leader in every sense of the word" adding that, "He was a true mentor and a true leader. We join with his family, friends and all those who were privileged to know Chairman Crooks in mourning his passing."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crooks, Stanley 1941 births 2012 deaths Chairmen of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Native American leaders People from Pipestone, Minnesota