The Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is concerned that a recent court ruling could affect its jurisdiction.

The tribe was not party to a lawsuit in which Judge Lawrence Piersol said a 40-acre site was not within reservation boundaries. The case was filed by opponents of a hog farm in Charles Mix County.

The tribe opposes the farm but Chairman Robert Cournoyer says Piersol should hear from the tribe and the Bureau of Indian Affairs before making decisions about the site. The only means of reaching the hog farm is through a road that is maintained by the BIA.

In his ruling, Piersol said the BIA has paid for maintenance on the road. But he said the county never gave up its ownership.

Get the Story:
Tribe joins hog farm dispute (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 7/9)

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