"Whining won't change anything. South Dakota now must deal with reality - Native Americans can buy off-reservation land and put it into trust with the Department of Interior.

That means two things:

# Such land goes off the property-tax rolls.

# Counties and the state lose regulatory authority over how the land is used.

"That's got way more to do with what's at issue here than the simple loss of real estate tax," said state Attorney General Larry Long.

The U.S. Supreme Court settled the issue, refusing to hear an appeal of an 8th Circuit Court ruling that the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe can put 91 acres along Interstate 90 near Oacoma into trust.

The state fought the tribe's efforts and lost."

Get the Story:
Editorial: S.D., tribes should talk about land (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 10/11)

8th Circuit Decision:
South Dakota v. DOI (September 6, 2005)

Relevant Links:
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe - http://www.lbst.org

Related Stories:
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe blasts treatment by state (10/9)
Supreme Court won't hear land-into-trust cases (10/3)
Appeals court upholds legality of land-into-trust process (09/14)
Chairman Jandreau: Indian Country being left out (09/06)
Appeals court sides with tribe in trust land dispute (02/10)
Court won't rehear challenge to tribal land base (05/21)
Court says U.S. can protect tribe's interests (02/04)
Land still in limbo after decade-long fight (10/16)
The day the Supreme Court said no (10/16)