Spreading Holiday Cheer with the Spirit of Sovereignty Christmas Drive

The holiday spirit of giving was in full force at this year’s Lakota Nation Invitational (LNI) in Rapid City, South Dakota, as the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) and Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. made presentations on behalf of the annual Spirit of Sovereignty Christmas Drive.

The presentations took place during half time at the LNI, an annual celebration that includes a sports tournament, youth festival, cultural showcase, and powwow. This year’s invitational was held from December 15-19 at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The invitational features a basketball, cross country, and cheerleading tournament as well as other events such as a language and cultural bowl. Hundreds of attendees in the Great Plains Region flock to LNI every year to show their support for the participating youth and to share in the holiday spirit this event brings.

The Spirit of Sovereignty Foundation, an entity of NIGA, is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide tribes, tribal programs, and Indian country students with funding, scholarships, and other types of aid. For nine years, the Spirit of Sovereignty Christmas Drive has helped tribes, tribal programs, and tribal non-profit organizations with funding to continue their holiday programs and services throughout Indian country. This is the third year that Drive was part of the LNI events.

With help from Kevin Killer, South Dakota State Representative and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and Native American hip-hop artist and actor Litefoot, Chairman Stevens presented checks to the Christmas Drive recipients and encouraged the attendees of the tournament to continue to do all they can do to make their communities a better place.

Earlier in the day, during the LNI youth festival, Chairman Stevens and Litefoot challenged the youth to tap into their creative writing abilities by asking them to provide personal written testimonials of their good deeds at home or in school in 2009. In exchange, NIGA and Litefoot partnered in donating sweatshirts and T-shirts from the Native American Clothing line, a subsidiary owned by Litefoot to the participants of the writing exercise.

In addition, Chairman Stevens and Litefoot were presented with painted buffalo hides from Rep. Kevin Killer for their dedication to aiding the tribes and program within the Great Plains region through the Christmas Drive.

Both Chairman Stevens and Litefoot were thrilled with the success of the Spirit of Sovereignty Christmas Drive.

“The opportunity to provide donations to those in need through our Spirit of Sovereignty Christmas Drive would not be possible without the great support we continue to get from all of those who have contributed. Once again, this allows us to give Christmas gifts to those who might have gone without on Christmas day.”

“Litefoot, The Association for American Indian Development, and Native Style Clothing are proud to have been part of the National Indian Gaming Association’s Christmas Drive at the Lakota Nation Invitational. We are honored to help bring upliftment and holiday cheer to hundreds of our Lakota people and we look forward to joining in and helping with next year’s Christmas Drive,” said Litefoot.

Spirit of Sovereignty Christmas Drive
2009 CONTRIBUTORS
Forest County Potawatomi Tribe	International Gaming Technology
Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians	Video Gaming Technologies, Inc.
Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians	Hawaiian Gardens Casino
Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Indians	The Bicycle Casino
Barona Band of Mission Indians	Commerce Casino
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians	Hollywood Park Casino
Table Mountain Rancheria Tribe	Litefoot & Native Style Clothing
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community	Thalden-Boyd Architects, LLC
	Bobby Barrett Foundation
	Soaring Eagle Foundation
	Rodney Grant
Thank you for your support!
Thanks also goes to those Tribes, Organizations and Individuals who contributed after publication deadline of the Indian Gaming Update