Elect Bev
Thompson SWO VICE CHAIR
Experience
* Integrity *
Honesty
Hello,
My name is Beverly Thompson, I am a candidate for the office of Vice
Chairperson for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate.
Many of you know me, but for those Oyate that do not know me, here is a
brief introduction.
I was born and raised on the “Rez” and my family moved back and forth
to the “Rez” because of the lack of employment opportunities.
I have been with Michael Thompson for many, many years, 50+ years. I am a mother of 5, a kunsi of 20 with number 21 on the way and a great grandmother of 15. Like all of you I love and am proud of my
family very much and want the best for them.
That is why I am putting Education, Job Creation, Job
Training, Better Health Care, Housing, Land Purchase,
and Energy Development, as the main points I want to focus upon as your
next Vice Chairperson.
The future of the Tribe is very important to me, my family, to you and
your families. Our future lies in our
youth for they are our future.
I am the District Chairperson of the Lake Traverse District, an honor
that I never take for granted. Having
the support and faith of the families in the district and being able to voice
their problems to DCA and come up with solutions, is difficult but
rewarding. I have also been very
involved in sitting on boards and committees, too numerous to mention. Being involved in the community, and making
sure the needs of underrepresented Oyate are heard at every level is one of my
main concerns.
I am not a career politician. I have not spent my life running for Tribal
office, but I focused on raising my family and building businesses to take care
of my family. I am a concerned elder,
worried about the future of our Tribe and whether we have a plan for the
future. It is not about building
monuments but about making sure our children and children’s children have
access to education, job opportunities, and housing on our reservation.
“Speaking Out for What’s Right and Point
Out What’s Wrong”
I attended college late in life, like many of you I focused on raising
my family first. My area of study was
Business Economics. I have a strong
background in Accounting and Finance, I would be happy to share my college
transcripts for review to show you the classes that I completed. My children have all attended college, my
grandchildren are attending college, my eldest great grandchild is in college,
to my family, education is a priority
and I hope to make it accessible to all Oyate.
Negotiated the North Dakota
State Gaming Compact
Some Oyate know and some may have heard the rumors, but it is
true. My son Theron and I negotiated the
North Dakota Tribal - State Gaming Compact in 1992 at no cost to the
Tribe. I will be handing out the
original resolution issued by Council and the resolution of Tribal Council
accepting the Compact. Because of that
compact, the Tribe was able to escape the confines and limitations of the South
Dakota compact and the limitation on 250 gaming devices. We need to be utilizing the millions of
dollars that the North Dakota casino generates to fund Education, Job Creation,
Job Training, Better Healthcare, Housing, Land Purchase, and Energy Development
for our people.
We need to create a plan and outline where our revenues should be
going, a certain few should not be making decisions that affect thousands of
Tribal members.
My dream is that every young man and woman has the support of the Tribe
to reach their full potential. This to
me solves many of the problems we have on the reservation. We need to make education and the access to
funding for education a priority. A
self-fulfilled person does not easily fall prey to the pitfalls of society and
an educated people will have a better and more prosperous future.
Accomplishments/Boards
·
Alcohol and Drug Free Award
·
Grandparent of the Year Award
·
Member of the Governor’s Task Force for Long
Term Elderly Care - South Dakota
·
Women’s Economic Development Board Member
(WEDCO) - Minneapolis, MN
·
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Reservation Election
Board, Chairperson
·
Sisseton-Wahpeton Community College Board of
Directors, Acting Chairperson
·
EPA Committee, Lake Traverse District
Representative
·
Reservation Planning Commission, Lake Traverse
District Representative (interim representative)
·
Tiospa Zina School Board, Lake Traverse District
Representative (interim representative)
·
Judicial Committee, Lake Traverse District
Representative
·
First Gaming Board for SWO (Agency Bingo and
Dakota Sioux Casino)
·
Senior Congressional Page – Washington, DC
·
Owned and operated a multi-state service company
with contracts with IHS, HUD, BIA, University of Minnesota, Public Hosptials,
and Numerous Tribes,
·
Negotiated the Tribal-State Gaming Compact with
the State of North Dakota
·
Funded and assisted in the negotiation of Tribal
State Gaming Compact in the State Kansas
Elect Bev Thompson SWO VICE CHAIR
Experience * Integrity * Honesty
.JPG)
