Santa visits Sioux

A Pine Ridge ChristmasYellow school buses made a snowy, icy trip to Piya Wiconi, the administrative offices of Oglala Lakota College, near Kyle. Their mission: bring children enrolled in Head Start to Piya Wiconi to meet the man of the season, Santa Claus.

Santa had a huge sack of wrapped gifts. As the children entered the round conference room, their eyes immediately focused and fixed on Santa. They filed up to him one by one. Greetings were given and received.

Members of the Saginaw Chippewa tribe of Mt. Pleasant, Mich., were the financial backers of Santa's generosity through its 10-year-old Angel Tree program, a yearly outreach program to give Christmas presents to Pine Ridge residents. It is administered by the Saginaw Chippewa's Andahwod Continuing Care Community & Aging Services department.Comment:  I assume the Chippewas' money comes primarily from their casino. It's another in the long list of benefits of Indian gaming.