Tribal leaders in South Dakota are waiting to see what the "Year of Unity" means for tribal-state relations.

Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Chairman Michael Jandreau is pleased Gov. Mike Rounds (R) wants to unite all governments in the state. "I think utilizing the practical idea of unity and cooperative effort to build a life that impacts and assists all South Dakotans. ... is a good one," Jandreau told The Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

But Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe President Joshua Weston said Rounds should practice what he preaches. His tribe was forced to file a lawsuit in federal court because Rounds refuses to negotiate a new gaming compact.

"In our opinion, relations between the state of South Dakota and Native American tribes have reached a modern low under the Rounds administration," Weston told the paper.

Rounds will declare the Year of Unity during a ceremony at the Capitol today.

Get the Story:
'Year of Unity' launches (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 2/19)

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