Several South Dakota Sioux tribal leaders planning their own tribal address

PIERRE, S.D. (AP)–Leaders from several Sioux tribes in South Dakota are making a statement that they don’t support this year’s pick for the State of the Tribes address.

They say they will be holding their own event rather than participate in the annual speech that is scheduled to be delivered by Gov. Kristi Noem’s secretary of tribal relations Dave Flute, an enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate.

The State of the Tribes has been given in each of the last four years in January by a current chairman or president of one of South Dakota’s tribes.

Leaders from several tribes say they will hold the first “Great Sioux Nation Tribal” address instead.