The governor of South Dakota has threatened legal action against two Sioux tribes if they don’t lift checkpoints designed to stop the spread of coronavirus, CNN reports.
Gov. Kristi Noem sent letters Friday to the leaders of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe demanding that checkpoints designed to prevent the spread of coronavirus on tribal land be removed, the governor’s office said in a statement.
“We are strongest when we work together; this includes our battle against Covid-19,” Noem said. “I request that the tribes immediately cease interfering with or regulating traffic on US and State Highways and remove all travel checkpoints.”
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe checkpoint policies posted on its social media say its reservation residents may travel within South Dakota to areas the state has not deemed a Covid-19 “hotspot” if it’s essential, such as medical appointments or to get supplies unavailable on the reservation. But they must complete a health questionnaire when they leave and when they return every time they go through a checkpoint.
Both tribes have issued strict stay-at-home orders while the Noem has not issued one for the state.
