| Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community | |
|---|---|
| Assumed office August 25, 2012 | |
| Vice President | Keith B. Anderson |
| Preceded by | Stanley Crooks |
| Vice Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community | |
| In office January 2012 – Present | |
| President | Stanley Crooks |
| Preceded by | Glynn Crooks |
| Succeeded by | Keith B. Anderson |
| Personal details | |
| Spouse(s) | Donna Vig |
| Children | Five |
Charlie Vig is Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota. Vig served as the Vice Chairman from January 2012 until August 2012.[1] He became the Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community following the death of Chairman Stanley Crooks, on August 25, 2012.[1][2] The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is the most influential Native American tribe in Minnesota [1] and the single-largest benefactor for Indian Country nationally[3].
Shakopee Mdewakanton Casino
Vig was the youngest of his family's nine children.[1] His grandmother, Minnie Otherday, was a descendant of John Otherday, who saved many settlers and U.S. government employees during the Dakota War of 1862.[2] Vig was raised in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.[2] He moved to the region around Prior Lake in 1969 when his parents became some of the founders of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.[2] His father died from cancer when he was nine years old.[1]
Charles Vig, tribal chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) since 2012, has announced his retirement. His last day will be Jan. 31, when the SMSC’s new Business Council will.
He began a career in construction, specifically masonry, once he graduated from high school.[1] Vig married his wife, Donna Vig, a social worker, in 1981; they have five children - four sons and one daughter.[2]
Vig first worked for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in 1992 as a project manager for the tribe's new Mystic Lake Casino, where he oversaw just three employees at the time.[1] He became Vice President at the casino within just three years and supervised more than 800 casino employees.[1] He served on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux's board of gambling directors for seven terms.[1] The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community now employs 4,100 people, making the tribe the largest employer in Scott County, Minnesota.[4]
Charlie Vig was elected Vice Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in January 2012.[1] He succeeded outgoing Vice Chairman Glynn Crooks, who had served in the office for the prior sixteen years.[1]
Chairman Stanley Crooks died in office of a respiratory and lung ailment on August 25, 2012.[1] According to Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux, the vice chairman becomes chairman in the instance of a death, so Vig became chairman.[1][5] The tribe's treasurer and secretary, Keith B. Anderson, became the new Vice Chairman.[5] Vig noted that Crooks' death was a shock, but not entirely unexpected, 'The chairman's health had been failing for a while, and this wasn't totally unexpected...One of the reasons I stepped up is because most of the people knew the chairman might not make it to his next term. They had the confidence in me to follow through.[1]
Shakopee Mdewakanton Tribe
As chairman for the remaining three years of Crooks' term, Vig planned to continued Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community's commitment to charitable donations.[1] The SMSC has donated nearly $272 million to organizations and causes between 1992 and 2013, including more than $29 million in 2012.[6] The tribe has donated more than $350 million to organizations and causes, and is one of the largest charitable givers in Minnesota[7].
Outside politics Vig constructed his own campground along Bear Butte Creek, located six miles south of Deadwood, South Dakota.[1] The campground includes six cabins and 3 and a half acres for tents and RVs.[1]
Mdewakanton
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Tribe
References[edit]
- ^ abcdefghijklmnopqBrown, Curt (2012-08-02). 'Powerful tribe has new face, Little known outside of Shakopee Mdewakanton, Charlie Vig steps into the limelight to succeed Stanley Crooks'. Minneapolis Star Tribune. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^ abcde'About Charlie Vig'. Minneapolis Star Tribune. 2012-08-01. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^'SMSC announces more than $3 million in donations'. Prior Lake American. July 26, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
- ^SMSC.pdf 'Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Celebrates 40 Years as a Federally Recognized Indian Tribe' Check
|url=value (help)(PDF). Indian Gaming. January 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2019. - ^ ab'Stanley Crooks, Chairman of Minnesota Tribe, Dies'. KAAL. 2012-08-26. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^'Tribe says it donated more than $29 million last year to charitable groups'. Shakopee Valley News. Southwest Newspapers. July 16, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
- ^'Shakopee Tribe donates more than $5 million to Indian Country'. Indianz. December 5, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.