South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's standoff with the leaders of two Native American tribes over their coronavirus checkpoints is escalating as they battle over sovereignty and the governor's ability to control restrictions on state and federal highways
The Republican governor -- who never enacted a stay-at-home order in her state despite a huge outbreak at a Sioux Falls meatpacking plant -- threatened to sue the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe in two letters Friday, arguing that their efforts to prevent the spread of the virus through roadway checkpoints was interfering with traffic. She ordered the tribes to dismantle them within 48 hours, a deadline which has now passed.
Maggie Seidel, Noem's senior adviser and policy director, stressed in a Sunday memo to reporters that"tribes are well within their rights to manage the flow of traffic on tribal roads, and the state has no objection to that.""The key here is that tribes are letting tribal members come and go as they please -- the same is not true for non-tribal members," Seidel said, an assertion disputed by the tribes.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
South Dakota gov to tribes: Remove COVID checkpoints in 24 hoursCoronavirus checkpoints erected by Native American tribes in South Dakota have been ordered removed by Governor Kristi Noem despite the grave health threat COVID-19 poses to these communities. Joy Reid is joined by Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Harold Frazier who tells AM JOY, ‘One of the greatest rights is the right to live.’
Read more »
Sioux tribe rejects South Dakota governor request to remove Covid-19 checkpointsA Sioux tribe has rejected an ultimatum by South Dakota's governor to remove checkpoints on state highways within tribal reservations designed to prevent the spread of coronavirus
Read more »
South Dakota Sioux tribe refuses to take down checkpoints that governor says are illegalThe Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota is refusing to end coronavirus checkpoints declared illegal by the state's governor, saying they are the best tool they have to stop the virus from spreading.
Read more »
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is not removing coronavirus checkpoints in South DakotaDespite the South Dakota governor's request for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe to take down its coronavirus checkpoints, tribe Chairman Harold Frazier tells CNN they’re going to stay put.
Read more »
South Dakota tribes defy governor and maintain checkpoints in coronavirus fight2 Native American tribes are defying South Dakota Gov. Noem's order to remove roadside checkpoints that tribal leaders claim are necessary to keep coronavirus from infecting reservations, officials say.
Read more »
South Dakota governor demands tribes remove travel checkpoints on Indian reservationsA battle is brewing between South Dakota Indian tribes and the governor over reservation checkpoints restricting travel.
Read more »