Dispute over South Dakota tribal checkpoints escalates after Gov. Kristi Noem seeks federal help
"The time has come for formal federal action," Noem, a Republican, wrote in her letter to President Donald Trump.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dispute-over-south-dakota-tribal-checkpoints-escalates-after-gov-kristi-n1212161
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem appealed to the Trump administration for help Wednesday in resolving a dispute over roadside checkpoints set up by two Native American tribes trying to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the latest move in a clash over which government entity has the ultimate legal authority.
Noem, a Republican who assumed office last year, wrote in a letter to President Donald Trump that the issue is "not a matter of tribal sovereignty" because South Dakota has rights allowing residents and travelers to access the roadways, and that the federal government has "an interest in interstate commerce." She also argued that the checkpoints do little to stop the coronavirus from spreading, and if anything, they increase the risk of transmission because people are exposing themselves when they're forced to stop.
"The time has come for formal federal action," Noem wrote, sending copies to the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and South Dakota's congressional members.
What form the federal involvement could look like is unclear. The White House, the Justice Department and others now involved did not immediately comment Thursday about the letter.
Noem, who has previously threatened legal action against the Cheyenne River Sioux and the Oglala Sioux tribes, wrote that as an alternative to litigation, she'd like for federal assistance in shutting down the "unlawful" checkpoints and requiring the Cheyenne River Sioux, specifically, to comply with a Bureau of Indian Affairs memo on the matter.
Noem told reporters Wednesday that affidavits and video recordings collected by the state attorney general's office were provided to federal authorities to pursue.
"This isn't about taking sides. This is just about upholding the law," Noem said, adding, "We are asking for the help, and hope the partnership of the White House can be used to encourage" the tribes to comply.
The checkpoints have been up since April and involve two of South Dakota's largest reservations. Noem had warned the tribes to take down the checkpoints on state and federal highways within 48 hours or face court action.
Harold Frazier, the chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, said on MSNBC last week in response to Noem's ultimatum that "we have every legal right to do what we're doing" and that such a precautionary measure is warranted because the tribe has insufficient medical resources to combat COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Those operating the checkpoints are deputized under the tribal government, which says they are determining if the vehicle is on essential business — those coming from a coronavirus "hot spot" and not having essential travel have been turned away.
COVID-19 has inundated Native American communities more than others. The Navajo Nation, for instance, now has the highest infection rate per capita in the country, according to Johns Hopkins University data, surpassing New York and New Jersey.
"We feel like monitoring our borders and tracking everybody that's going through or attempting to go through will help us if this virus ever comes here," Frazier said.
The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, which has about 8,000 members on its reservation, is located within two counties. Those counties have seen a single positive case of COVID-19 between them.
Gov. Kristi Noem sent the evidence to the U.S. Department of Justice, the White House, and South Dakota's congressional delegation, saying she hopes for federal assistance in removing the checkpoints. https://t.co/u1K34cHRSp
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Harold Frazier's son killed himself when he was 15 on Aug 29, 2009. He hung himself. Word on the rez is that Harold "molested him and passed him around for others to molest him and that's why he hung himself." (I can't confirm that's why he did it, but that's the word.)
Plus these idiots are lying. We are not allowed to leave unless we fill out a form and wait however long it takes for them to confirm or deny the pass. If you go without a pass and come back you have to quarantine for 14 days. There's curfew from 8pm to 6 am. Fuck these asshos. They need to get with the times. Crush em Mr Trump. They're so fkn racist. (No not for good reason. I'm 45 not 400. I had nothing to do with it. Their racism is retarded.)