In a new war on the Great Plains, the governor of South Dakota is threatening legal action against two Sioux tribes for setting up coronavirus checkpoints on state and federal highways.
Gov. Kristi Noem sent letters to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe on Friday, demanding they dismantle roadblocks on reservation lands meant to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The tribes didn’t consult with the state before they issued travel restrictions on non-tribal members, Noem said Friday, despite federal regulations requiring them to do so.
“We are strongest when we work together; this includes our battle against COVID-19,” she added, setting a 48-hour deadline for the tribes to comply.
Out-of-state visitors have been turned away from the tribes’ reservations for weeks, the Rapid City Journal reported.
A spokesman for the Oglala Sioux Tribe complained about Noem’s approach.
“They can sit down and talk with us like human beings, but they don’t do that,” Chase Iron Eyes said. “They threaten us with violence or legal charges.”
South Dakota has had 3,144 coronavirus cases, including more than 800 in an outbreak at a pork processing plant, and 31 deaths, according to state authorities.
