Republican South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is now banned by all nine Indigenous tribes in her state after her comments about the Native American people residing on reservations in the land-locked state.
The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe was the ninth and final tribe to bar Noem from setting foot on their lands. Indigenous reservations comprise about 20% of South Dakota's land.
The Executive Council ruling on Tuesday bookended a ripple effect of nine tribes with reservations across the state, and it remains in effect until the Governor issues a public apology.
WoLakota Project map/The Big Picture graphic
Last week ahead of the vote, Flandreau President Tony Reider called for an emergency meeting following Noem's allegations at a town hall meeting earlier that tribal leaders were profiting off of drug cartels in the state and prioritizing them over parenting children on their reservations.
Noem, who has been a vocal critic of Democratic President Joe Biden's border policies, has since doubled down on her claim that Mexican drug cartels were infiltrating reservations. She blamed the rise in criminal activity in her state on the federal government's handling of the border crisis.
According to a readout obtained by CNN, the meeting with Noem was “contentious at times, as some members vocalized their opposition."
The statement said:
“President Reider informed the governor that a ban from our territories is imminent and requested that the Governor refrain from making future blanket statements that offend the tribes within the boundaries of the State of South Dakota, some of which depend on state services for the needs of their people."
"It was recommended that the Governor clarify her statements and issue an apology to all tribal nations for the misunderstanding."
It concluded with:
“Until such a time, the Executive Council and the people of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe stand with our fellow nations.”
The internet rejoiced over the news, starting with Star Wars actor Mark Hamill.
Following the announcement, Noem did not mention the ban but expressed interest in working with tribal leaders.
“I only want to speak truth to the real challenges that are being faced in some areas of Indian Country," she said.
"I want to focus on solutions that lead to safer communities for all our families, educational outcomes for all our children, and declining addiction numbers for all our people."
"We cannot tackle these issues without addressing the problem: dangerous criminals who perpetuate violence and illegal activities in all areas of our state."
She continued:
“We need to take action. It is my hope tribal leadership will take the opportunity to work with me to be an example of how cooperation is better for all people rather than political attacks.”
News of her ban comes after Noem, who was once on former Republican President Donald Trump's shortlist to be his 2024 running mate, faced national scrutiny upon the release of her new book.
In her memoir No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, she wrote about how she killed her family dog, a 14-month-old wirehair pointer named Cricket, to illustrate she was willing to do anything “difficult, messy and ugly” in politics and life as necessary.
But look where it got her.
She also backtracked her claim about meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, later admitting that such a meeting never happened.
