Bois Forte Band receives $1 million grant for clinic

The Bois Forte Band of Chippewa has received a $1 million grant to help build a medical and dental clinic planned for the Lake Vermilion portion of the reservation.

The grant is coming from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Prior Lake, Minn.

“We are happy to be able to help tribes improve their facilities so that they can better provide services for their members,” SMSC Chairman Charlie Vig said in a news release Tuesday.

This is the second $1 million grant the SMSC has made for the project, which will build a new medical and dental clinic of approximately 10,500 square feet adjacent to the Vermilion Community Center. The existing clinic space of 1,200 square feet will be converted to offices for tribal government departments. The estimated cost of the project is $4 million, with Indian Health Service funding paying about half.

“With the new clinic we will be able to provide lab services on-site; increase hours for our part time medical provider and increase health care services in the clinic from the current three days per week to five days per week,” Bois Forte Chairman Kevin Leecy said. “Diabetes education and the WIC clinic will now have room to meet with patients rather than require patients to travel to another location.”

Previous SMSC grants to Bois Forte have funded an administration building, a health clinic, a quick lube center and car wash and associated infrastructure improvements at the tribe’s Y-Store near the Vermilion Lake Reservation, the Lake Vermilion Community Wellness Center, and land purchases.

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