US has treaty duty to fund policing on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, judge rules

By STEVE KARNOWSKI
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that the U.S, government has a treaty obligation to support law enforcement on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota,. But he declined for now to determine whether the Oglala Sioux Tribe is entitled to as much funding as it’s seeking. Tribal leaders depict the ruling as a victory, saying the important point is the court confirmed that the federal government has a duty to fund policing on the reservation. The judge ordered U.S. officials to meet with Oglala Sioux leaders on “how to more fairly fund tribal law enforcement.”