Unemployment among the 500 members of Minnesota's Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) is more than 99 percent.
The poverty rate is zero.
The number of millionaires is 100 percent.
Since the federal government recognized the tribe and its 2,000 acres of land in 1969, much has happened. During the 1970s, tribal life was marked by poverty, with members living in broken-down trailers that lacked running water.
But in the 1980s, things changed and those changes can be summed up in one word: Casinos.
The advent of casinos was transformative, not just for Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux, but for 242 other tribes that operate 500 gaming facilities in 29 states.
It began when a 1970s Supreme Court decision found that Minnesota state and local governments did not have the authority to assess property tax on tribal land. From there, tribes decided that governments were also not empowered to limit other activities, such as gambling, which was was highly regulated at the time.
So the SMSC opened a bingo hall in 1982, followed by the Mystic Lake Casino in 1992. Under visionary leadership, the casino complex grew to include a 150,000 square foot casino with 586 hotel rooms, an 18-hole golf course and a 2,000-seat concert venue.
Today, the complex generates an estimated $1 billion per year, giving tribe members an estimated income of $1 million per person. The SMSC also donates hundreds of millions for educational initiatives among poorer tribes, according to MinnPost.com.