Reservation still exists - so says appellate court

A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that found a small part of the once-huge Yankton Sioux Tribe's reservation in southeastern South Dakota still exists and remains under the legal jurisdiction of the tribe and federal government.

The state and Charles Mix County have argued through lengthy legal battles that the reservation was disestablished, or eliminated, in the late 1800s.

But U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol of Sioux Falls agreed with the tribe and the U.S. government when he ruled in late 2007 that the reservation covers more than 37,000 acres, or 59 square miles, which is mostly land the government holds in trust for the tribe and individual tribal members.

A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld most of Piersol's ruling.

See the full story HERE in the AP story in the Mitchell Republic's website.

twp