- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota’s legislature considered two laws involving tribal IDs over the past week, rejecting a voter registration measure and advancing a proposed law that would require businesses to accept tribal IDs as proof of age and identity.
Last week, the Republican-controlled House defeated a proposed amendment to a voter registration bill that would have allowed Native Americans to use their tribal IDs when registering to vote. Claiming that the secretary of state wouldn’t be able to verify information on the tribal-issued IDs, Republicans voted down the measure.
House Democrats criticized the rejection on the voter registration matter.
“The way our voting system is set up does disenfranchise in particular Native American voters,” Rep. Ryan Cwach, a Democrat, told the Associated Press.
Then yesterday, a Senate committee gave its support to a proposed law that would require businesses to accept IDs issued by tribes as proof of age and identity.
Democratic Sen. Troy Heinert introduced the bill after several tribal members told him that some businesses weren’t accepting their tribal IDs. South Dakota already has a law that requires banks to accept tribal IDs. Heinert’s new measure, which passed committee and will move to a vote by the full Senate, will help clarify that tribal IDs can be accepted for all business transactions.
In 2011, the state of South Dakota first enacted a law to make the tribal ID a recognized form of identification. In recent years, South Dakota tribes have improved their IDs with holographics and other security features. Federal agencies recognize tribal IDs, which can be used for passing through airport security or to verify identity during elections.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
NB3 Foundation to Host 6th Annual Native Youth Golf Championship
Federal Budget Proposal Threatens to Dismantle Native Workforce Programs
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
