South Dakota's Noem asks tribes again to talk on checkpoints

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Tuesday held off on her threat to sue Native American tribes that have set up highway checkpoints intended to keep the coronavirus away from their reservations, saying instead she would like to work out an agreement.

The Republican governor gave two tribes — the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe — 48 hours from Friday afternoon to remove checkpoints from state and federal highways or face a lawsuit. She said her office has been getting complaints that the checkpoints have caused a headache for people trying to enter the reservations for ranching or store deliveries. But the tribes kept the checkpoints, citing the threat of the virus, combined with their vulnerable populations and poor medical facilities, as urgent reasons to control access.

https://www.startribune.com/south-dakota-s-noem-asks-tribes-again-to-talk-on-checkpoints/570416302/