Stanley Crooks, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux, became a national Native American leader during his twenty-year tenure as Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. He was a lifetime member of the National Congress of American Indians, helping establish the Embassy of Tribal Nations in Washington, D.C. Crooks served as the longtime chairman of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association and represented the SMSC at the National Indian Gaming Association.