Tribal leader calls on state to look to reconciliation plan for path forward

PIERRE — South Dakota should look back almost 30 years to find a blueprint to help it navigate state-tribal relations, Lower Brule Sioux Tribal Chairman Boyd Gourneau told lawmakers and tribal officials Thursday.

As part of his State of the Tribes address, Gourneau said the state needs to come together to combat common enemies like racism and meth addiction. He also asked for lawmakers' help in securing access to quality health care for all South Dakotans.

Throughout his address, Gourneau referenced former Gov. George S. Mickelson's proclamation calling for reconciliation between tribal members and non-tribal members in South Dakota.

"When it comes to state-tribal relations there's a blueprint in that document," he said. "If we follow this document, only then can we combine in that effort as we move forward for all the residents in our state."

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Aiming to take a step closer toward that goal, lawmakers met with tribal leaders for more than an hour Thursday.

In an unofficial meeting, members of the State-Tribal Relations Committee stressed the importance of having Native American representation involved in crafting policy in Pierre and fielded concerns from a handful of tribal leaders present.

"We often hear that the tribes are not at the table," said Rep. Shawn Bordeaux, D-Mission. "I guess they want to see you here. So we have to get ourselves used to coming here and testifying on issues that matter to us because if you don't show up they think you don't care."

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The efforts to embrace tribal perspectives were a step in the right direction, said Sen. Troy Heinert, D-Mission, but more can be done to better bridge divides between tribal members and non-tribal members in South Dakota.

"That's a start. But reconciliation is so much more," Heinert said. "It was great that the chairman found a way of really taking that mantra from 30 years ago and bringing it back and saying we still haven't done this, we still have work to be done."

"I hope we can start doing that work," he continued.

The committee also agreed to put forth a resolution opposing the confirmation of Don Kirkegaard as Education Secretary and planned to draft another asking the U.S. Attorney's office to probe a money-funneling scheme at Mid-Central Educational Cooperative.

Follow Dana Ferguson on Twitter @bydanaferguson, call 605-370-2493 or email dferguson@argusleader.com