PIERRE — South Dakota senators turned down a request from Sioux tribes asking the state to send resolutions to Congress supporting the amending of the 1863 federal law that led to their removal from Minnesota to reservations elsewhere in the Midwest.

Crow Creek Tribal Chairman Lester Thompson explained to the Senate State Affairs Committee that his tribe was "forcibly banished" from Minnesota to South Dakota following the Dakota conflict in 1862. The conflict resulted in the mass hanging of 38 Dakota men in Minnesota, said Flandreau Santee Sioux tribal attorney Seth Pearman. The conflict and its reasons for it are no longer an issue today, but the 1863 Dakota Removal Act is still in effect, Thompson said.

"Now we're U.S. citizens so treat us like U.S. citizens," Thompson said.

The resolution isn't ceding any land or requesting any money, but is instead cleaning up the federal language stating "that these Dakota people have no place in Dakota Territory or in Minnesota," explained resolution sponsor Sen. Troy Heinert, D-Mission. The resolution also calls for the United States to issue a formal statement of reconciliation to the tribes who were affected by the act.

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Tribes worked with South Dakota's congressional staff in Washington, D.C., on state Senate Concurrent Resolution 10, said Ross Garelick Bell, a lobbyist for the Yankton and Crow Creek Sioux Tribes. Minnesota has previously passed a similar resolution and South Dakota's congressional leaders wanted a state legislative resolution to bolster their support of amending the law, he said.

The Senate State Affairs Committee didn't ask any questions of tribal representatives, discuss the resolution or state their opinions about it before it voted 5-4 to pass the resolution to the 41st legislative day, effectively killing it. A motion to pass the resolution failed prior to that vote on Friday.

Tribal representatives stood stunned by the committee's decision outside in the hallway afterward, questioning what message the Legislature was sending to the state's tribes with its rejection of the resolution on Friday.

"We are incredibly disappointed with this action and lack of respect to the tribes," Pearman said.

After the failed vote to pass the resolution, Heinert pointed out to his colleagues that they didn't hear any opposition to the resolution during the hearing and the senators asked no questions, then voted against removing "offensive language" from a federal law.