PIERRE – During his State of the Tribes Address, Crow Creek Sioux Tribal Chairman Lester Thompson Jr. noted those times when the state and tribes have worked well together. He also had some pointed words about those times when the relationship has been strained.
Thompson made his remarks Thursday to a joint session of the Legislature.
“When relationships collapse, miscommunication, distrust and dishonesty lead to failure in government actions,” Thompson said, referring to “riot boosting” legislation approved last year that tribes believe takes away their constitutional right to free speech. “Legislation should not seek division but solution.”
Examples of the state and tribes working together include a memorandum of understanding between Crow Creek and the highway patrol. Originally developed for the tribe to get help handling traffic during powwows, it has grown to also include carrier enforcement.
Thompson also said the state was helpful in getting a rehabilitation center open on the Rosebud Reservation.
A young woman was lost after flooding on the Cheyenne River. As volunteers got ready to look for her, “out of nowhere comes the Game, Fish and Parks and a state trooper with no MOU in place,” Thompson said.
Legislation that would create a liability fund for a proposed oil pipeline sends the wrong message to the oil company, Thompson said
“It is imperative that pipeline companies understand that they cannot ignore responsibilities that come with transporting an environmentally hazardous product,” Thompson said.
He suggested that lawmakers consider legislation for charter schools on the reservations as well as expanding the number of places that accept tribal I.D.s.
Thompson asked lawmakers to approve a resolution showing their support for the tribes as they ask congress to rescind an 1863 law that removed the Dakota people from their ancestral lands.
“Although the conflict has ended, this outdated law still remains,” Thompson said. “We must bring closure to our historical trauma.”
