Third South Dakota tribal nation bans Noem from reservation
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has become the third tribal nation to ban South Dakota Kristi Noem (R) from its reservation land.
On Wednesday, the Standing Rock Tribal Council voted to ban Noem from its land for “racially charged” comments she made at town halls events alleging that some tribal leaders are “personally benefitting” from Mexican drug cartel activity on reservations, the South Dakota Searchlight reported.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is straddles the border of North Dakota and South Dakota. The Governor was banned from two other reservations earlier this year, which started after she delivered remarks on the U.S.-Mexico border in February.
Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairwoman Janet Alkire said in a release that Noem’s attempts to link tribes with the Mexican cartel was “irresponsible” and a “sad reflection of her fear-based politics that do nothing to bring people together to solve problems.”
“Rather than make uninformed and unsubstantiated claims, Noem should work with tribal leaders to increase funding and resources for tribal law enforcement and education,” Alkire’s statement said, reported by the Searchlight.
Alkire called a special meeting after a motion to ban Noem was introduced by Alice Bird Horse and seconded by Cyril Archambault.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe banned Noem in February, shortly after her remarks at the border. Frank Star Comes Out, the president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said the ban was effective immediately and due to the safety of Oyate.
The Cheyanne River Sioux also voted to ban Noem last week. The South Dakota governor is now banned from about 10 percent of the land in the state she governs, CNN noted.
In a video posted to social media platform X, Noem announced Thursday that she was offering a “history-making opportunity” to the state’s tribes by creating a law enforcement training course over the summer.
“Now, it’s not going to address every single challenge, but this training is a crucial first step towards addressing public safety issues in our tribal communities,” she said.
The Hill has reached out to Noem’s office for comment on the latest banning.