Oglala Sioux Tribe adopts marriage equality law

Wednesday, July 17, 2019  

The Oglala Sioux Tribe has joined the marriage equality movement.

The tribal council approved a same-sex marriage amendment last week, according to news reports. The vote was 12-3 in favor, with one abstention, The Sioux Falls Argus Leader said.

"These are historic days for our tribe and for the rights of all people who seek equality, justice and recognition under the law," a spokesperson for President Julian Bear Runner told the paper.

The U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 issued a decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that requires all states to legalize same-sex marriages and to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. The 2013 ruling in U.S. v. Windsor required the federal government to recognize all marriages.

Neither ruling, however, applies to tribal governments due to their status as separate sovereigns. But dozens of tribes have recognized same-sex marriages, according to Wikipedia. Same

The Oglala Sioux Tribe is the first Indian nation in South Dakota with a marriage equality law, according to news reports.

Oglala Sioux Tribe legalizes same-sex marriage, considering updated hate crime law (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader July 16, 2019)
Oglala Sioux Tribe legalizes same-sex marriage (The Associated Press July 16, 2019)

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