This year thousands of football fans flooding into Minneapolis for the Super Bowl, spend money on hotels, restaurants, and souvenirs in the Twin Cities metro. But Super Bowl 52 organizers tried to spread the wealth across the state – including to tribal nations. Reporter Melissa Townsend tells us more about the “52 weeks of giving” and some concerns over accepting money associated with the NFL.
Transcript
HOST: This year thousands of football fans flooding into Minneapolis for the Super Bowl, spend money on hotels, restaurants, and souvenirs in the Twin Cities metro. But Super Bowl 52 organizers tried to spread the wealth across the state - including to tribal nations. Reporter Melissa Townsend tells us more about the “52 weeks of giving”.
[NFL music]
REPORTER: You’ve probably noticed, there’s a lot of hype around the Super Bowl.
[NFL hype]
I expected the same from the Super Bowl 52 Host Committee, but they have a different tone.
[quick cut from their video]
Their 52 Weeks of Giving Campaign has a sobering message about health disparities in Minnesota.
That’s why in the 52 weeks leading up to the February 4th Super Bowl, the host committee gave money to one community every week for programs that support youth physical fitness, sports coaching and healthy eating.
NELSON: This is not about football.
Dana Nelson is Vice President of Legacy and Community Partnerships for the Super Bowl host Committee.
NELSON: I mean this is so much bigger than football. And we’ll have a lasting legacy way beyond that football game that’s played February 4th, 2014.
In total, they made 4 and a 1/2 million dollars in grants.
Only about a million of that came from the NFL foundation.
The rest comes mainly from Minnesota based corporations, foundations and donors, including the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.
[crowd sound]
NBC Kare 11 was at White Earth in July when they were presented with a big check for 100-thousand dollars to build a skate park on the reservation.
CROWD SOUND: three, two one… boom.
10 tribes in Minnesota each received 100-thousand dollars to support youth recreation and nutrition programs.
Shelly Buck is President of the Prairie Island Indian Community tribal council.
She says construction on their new recreation area will start well, hopefully soon.
BUCK: As soon as the ground thaws we are going to go in there and start building it. Last year we built a new playground at our softball fields for when we have big tournaments. We want our children on the upper island development to have the same amenity.
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is the only tribe that did not receive a grant.
Instead, they gave 100-thousand dollars to two different Native organizations.
50-thousand dollars went to the Dream of Wild Health farm in Hugo, Minnesota.
WILSON: We’re in a split level house - that’s our organizational facility out at the farm.
Diane Wilson is Executive Co-Director of the Dream of Wild Health Farm.
WILSON: So it’s just a normal kitchen and that’s where we are teaching Native youth how to cook. And so we really needed an updated, upgraded kitchen that has a lot more workspace, and a different configuration and is easier to clean and new appliances, you know, the whole works.
The work is being done right now. With some additional money, the sparkling new kitchen will be ready when youth return to the farm this spring.
WILSON: The floors, we went from a worn out laminate to this very nice, ceramic tile, very durable. The countertops will no longer be a laminate which is also not very hygienic. So that will go to a quartz which is both durable and hygienic. But for a teaching environment for the youth in pour programs, this is gonna be a much better experience for them.
Wilson says she is grateful to the Shakopee Mdewakanton community for their generous gift.
But that money is tied to the Super Bowl 52 Host Committee’s Legacy Fund which is of course tied to the NFL.
And the NFL is not without controversy.
There is the Washington team’s racist mascot and a number of stories of domestic violence among NFL players.
Diane Wilson from Dream of Wild Health says - that’s always an issue.
WILSON: I mean you look at where a lot of funding dollars originate, it comes from sources that have also been responsible for a lot of the colonization that’s happened in our communities. And I think long term it’s really important to develop programs that move us to toward independence. So yes, the source of the money is always a concern.
For now, the tribal communities I spoke with are grateful for the investment in their work to raise healthy and happy Native youth.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.