After 16 years of litigation, a South Dakota town says its battle against the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe was not about sovereignty.

The Oacoma Town Board fought the tribe's request to have 91 acres placed in trust. But the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs can now take the land into trust. The town says it wants to work with the tribe on plans for the site, located along an interstate.

Get the Story:
Town hopes for cooperation (AP 10/18)

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

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

Related Stories:
Editorial: State should work with tribes on land (10/11)
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)