On June 3, 1996, Priscila Wakole, a Kickapoo native, was stopped by the police on a Jackson County road in Kansas. The deputy sheriff pulled her over for, what he considered, an invalid license plate. The car, belonging to her brother-in-law, had a plate issued by the Sauk and Fox Nation of Oklahoma. The deputy sheriff issued her a ticket for violating Kansas law. She took it to court. The judge at the Jackson County District Court ruled against her, stating that Kansas has no obligations to honour license plates issued by native tribes; Ms. Wakole was fined $30 and charged an additional $42 for court fees.

The Sauk and Fox tribe in Oklahoma paid for Ms. Wakole to appeal. According to the Kansas State Court of Appeals, "the word 'state' is interpreted to include Indian nations." On that basis, the state issued the following judgment: "Because the Sauk and Fox statute regarding vehicle registration extends reciprocal privileges to persons operating validly registered and tagged vehicles in Kansas, the State should grant the same privilege pursuant to its reciprocity statute. Accordingly, Wakole's conviction must be reversed."

The decision was a victory for Wakole and the Sauk and Fox Nation. More significantly, perhaps, the ruling introduces the possibility for other native tribes to issue their own vehicle license plates. This can bring them more autonomy and allow them to collect motor vehicle tax, money that typically goes to the state government.