- Details
- By Levi Rickert
PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has turned to the federal government for help in her ongoing showdown with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribes over roadside checkpoints.
At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Noem said she asked the South Dakota Attorney General to investigate the “unlawful” checkpoints the tribes set up to protect citizens on their reservations from the coronavirus.
"That investigation, while it is still ongoing, has produced both affidavits and video recordings of these unlawful checkpoints that are in place," Noem said, though she did not elaborate on the contents of the material.
Noem said information from the investigation has been sent to the White House, Department of Justice, the Interior Department and South Dakota's congressional delegation.
By asking the federal government to intercede, Noem is escalating the dispute, which began two weeks ago when she threatened legal action against the tribes for setting up checkpoints at the entrances and exits to their reservations.
The two tribes say Noem has not done enough to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the state. South Dakota is one of a small handful of states that never issued a “stay-at-home” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of South Dakota announced it would provide support for the tribes in the checkpoint battle with Noem.
The perplexed governor says she asked for their assistance to resolve the situation.
Even though Noem threatened to take legal action, she said Wednesday she had not begun any litigation.
"The state is committed to slowing down the spread of COVID-19 and committed to protecting the public health of our tribes and every single citizen in the state,” Noem said.
Read Noem's Letter to the White House
This is a developing story and will be updated.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (May 15, 2022): D.C. BriefsNative Bidaské (Spotlight) with Carlisle Indian School Project Leader Gwen Carr
Indigenous Women on Roe v. Wade
Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools Bill Advocated for in Washington, D.C.
Alaska’s First Investigator Focused on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People is a Veteran of the Troopers
Do you appreciate a Native perspective on the news?
For the past decade-plus, we’ve covered the important Indigenous stories that are often overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the toppling of colonizer statues during the racial equity protests, to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools, we have been there to provide a Native perspective and elevate Native voices.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation this month to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps us remain a force for change in Indian Country and continue telling the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked. Most often, our donors make a one-time gift of $20 or more, while many choose to make a recurring monthly donation of $5 or $10. Whatever you can do, it helps fund our Indigenous-led newsroom and our ability to cover Native news.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
