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South Dakota Senate urges repeal of 1863 "Sioux Dakota Removal Act"
Summary
The South Dakota Senate adopted a resolution urging Congress to repeal the 1863 removal statutes that expelled Dakota bands from Minnesota, passing SR 702 by a roll-call vote of 32 yeas to 3 nays. The resolution frames repeal as a symbolic step toward reconciliation while saying it would not affect property rights already granted.
The South Dakota Senate on the floor adopted Senate Resolution 702, a measure urging the United States Congress to repeal the federal statutes commonly known as the Sioux Dakota Removal Act, by a roll-call vote of 32 yeas and 3 nays.
Senator Grove, who introduced the resolution and read its full text into the record, said repealing the act would be “a step toward healing historical wounds” and would “reaffirm South Dakota's commitment to recognizing and respecting the deep connections tribal nations have to the land.” The resolution cites the federal acts of 1863 that annulled prior treaties and directed removal of Dakota bands from Minnesota.
The resolution recounts the historical events described in the 1863 laws — including the aftermath of conflict in 1862 and congressional acts of March 3, 1863 (12 Stat. 819) — and asks Congress to amend the statute to remove the banishment language while explicitly not disturbing property interests that have been established since.
Supporters framed SR 702 as symbolic federal advocacy rather than a change to any current land holdings; Senator Grove noted that U.S. Senator John Thune had indicated repeal would not affect property rights granted later. Opponents did not prevail on the floor; the secretary recorded 32 yeas and 3 nays before the president declared SR 702 adopted.
The resolution is a formal request to Congress and does not itself change federal law. If Congress acts, the federal statutes cited in the resolution would be amended or repealed at the national level.
