The Crow Creek Sioux tribe is ending a public safety agreement with state authorities over the South Dakota Highway Patrols’ presence at the Dakota Access pipeline protests in North Dakota.

In a recent letter to Governor Dennis Daugaard, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Chairman Brandon Sazue says the state has chosen to stand against its citizens in the name of big oil….

The tribal council voted Monday to rescind the mutual aid agreement with the Highway Patrol for coordinating law enforcement activities between the tribe and the patrol. Sazue says the tribe is also nullifying a state-tribal tax agreement, and that all contact with the highway patrol has now been cut off…

The tribe uses the highway patrol for police enforcement during their annual pow-wow, and he doesn’t believe there will be an increase in crime now that the agreement has been rescinded.

The Highway Patrol sent assistance under a mutual aid compact at North Dakota’s request. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety declined to disclose the number of troopers provided, but says they returned Sunday. A statement from the Department of Public Safety states “The Governor and the Department respects Chairman Sazue’s opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline, but believes it would be unfortunate if that issue put at risk the mutually beneficial relationships the state and the tribe have in other areas.”