Stanley Crooks

Stanley R. Crooks (November 27, 1941 – August 25, 2012) served as the Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota from 1992 until his death in August 2012. Crooks became a national Native American leader during his twenty-year tenure. He served in the National Congress of American Indians, the longtime chairman of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, and the representative of the Shakopee Mdewakanton to the National Indian Gaming Association. He would serve six-terms as chairman, spanning twenty years from 1992 to 2012.

Stanley Crooks died of a heart attack at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee, Minnesota, on August 25, 2012, at the age of 70. The tribal secretary and treasurer Keith B. Anderson became the new Vice Chairman. Vig called Crooks "a leader in every sense of the word" adding that, "He was a true mentor and a true leader. We join with his family, friends and all those who were privileged to know Chairman Crooks in mourning his passing."