Governor Noem to Tribes: Remove All Checkpoints
PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem today sent letters to Chairman Harold Frazier of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and President Bear Runner of the Oglala Sioux Tribe demanding that checkpoints be removed from State and US Highways. If the checkpoints are not removed within the next 48 hours, the State will take necessary legal action.
“We are strongest when we work together; this includes our battle against COVID-19,” said Governor Noem. “I request that the tribes immediately cease interfering with or regulating traffic on US and State Highways and remove all travel checkpoints.”
On April 8, 2020, the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (DOI) issued a memorandum regarding South Dakota tribal government authority to close or restrict travel on State and US Highways. The memo makes it clear that tribes must consult with the state of South Dakota and enter into an agreement with the state before closing or restricting travel on State or US Highways. Neither consultation nor agreement among the tribal and state government occurred. Regardless, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe established checkpoints on State and US Highways to control and restrict non-tribal member travel.
You can read Gov. Noem’s letter to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe here, and her letter to the Oglala Sioux Tribe here.
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Good. They are state highways. If they don’t want people coming in block the side roads. Right now they are stopping people who are just driving through.
Outrageous conduct by the tribes
Now watch, the Governor is doing the right thing, but she will be called a racist. The communistic tribal government and BIA should be abolished. Stop oppressing your people and give them back their land. How’s socialism been working for you?
What was the purpose of these checkpoints anyway?
I believe the AG had no objections. Not that big of deal.
This explains it……it’s good to listen to both sides. .newscenter1.tv/ost-president-responds-to-governors-demands-to-remove-travel-checkpoints/?fbclid=IwAR2Y7wYlWXPbRuoGEPdlsNgnqvtwDwBYk7w3pMfzZBYf9SGpWoL2wf4pA7c
This not a cut and dried issue.
On one hand, the Tribe has a challenge of being a nation without a border (or a really pourous border) because within its “boundaries”, non-Indians live and are not subject to tribal jurisdiction, those non-Indians have a right to move without restriction in and out of the reservation boundaries, and people who don’t live there have a right to move into or through the reservation. It is the law.
On the other hand, the Tribes have a legitimate interest in protecting their people from this scourge especially when you consider the health problems on the reservations.
Like everytime something blows up, it appears to me, the Tribe reacts to their frustration of the inherent challenges and reality of their sovereignty includes compromise with their dual citizenship AND their nation’s boundary without a border. The State reacts to the reality of situation (i.e. state highways).
It is my experience these matters never go well in the heat of the moment. They need to be discussed in anticipation of issues where the two perspectives are shared outside of the heat of the moment and right measured actions/decisions can be made.
We all have the same interests here.