- Kristi Noem has been banned from entering the land of six South Dakota tribes.
- It comes after she suggested tribal leaders benefited from drug cartels.
- The decisions mean the governor can no longer enter 20 percent of the state.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been banned from entering 20 percent of the state after several Native American tribes banned her from their lands.
The bans came after Noem suggested that tribal leaders benefited from drug cartels.
Noem, who in her memoir wrote about shooting her hunting dog for misbehaving, said at a forum in March that “we have some tribal leaders who I think are personally benefiting from the presence of the cartels, and that’s why They attack me every day.” .’
The governor, who has been considered a favorite to be Trump’s running mate in the upcoming election, has now been banned by the Yankton Sioux, Sisseton-Wahpeton Ovate, Oglala, Rosebud, Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Sioux tribes.
There are only three other tribes in the state that have not yet banned it.
Kristi Noem has been banned from entering the land of six South Dakota tribes, including the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe, photographed with tribal Chairman J. Garrett Renville in February.
Noem appeared to double down on her position Thursday by addressing the controversy on social media.
Noem appeared to double down on her position Thursday by addressing the controversy on social media.
“Tribal leaders should take action to ban cartels from their lands and accept my offer to help them restore law and order to their communities while protecting their sovereignty,” Noem wrote in X.
“We can only do it through partnerships because the Biden Administration is not doing its job,” he added.
Relations between the state and South Dakota’s Native American tribes have long been strained.
The Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890 continues to loom large for many tribes, and continued disagreements over policies such as the environment have caused recent tensions.
Noem has personally clashed with tribal leaders in the past, notably during the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock, which resulted in her being temporarily banned from entering the Oglala Sioux reservation in 2019.
Relations became strained once again during the COVID-19 pandemic when tribes set up checkpoints at the borders of their reservations to limit visitors.
Political science professor Cal Jillson told the Seattle Times that Noem may be escalating a disagreement with tribal leaders through political means.
Noem has personally clashed with tribal leaders in the past, notably during the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock.
Noem appears to be “actively stoking it, suggesting she sees a political benefit,” the Southern Methodist University professor argued.
“I’m sure Governor Noem doesn’t mind focusing on tensions with Native Americans in South Dakota because if we’re not talking about that, we’re talking about her shooting the dog,” Jillson told the Times.
However, Jillson told the publication that the controversy could be a blow against him when Trump chooses his vice presidential position.
“I think the chaos Trump enjoys is the chaos he creates,” he explained.
Adding: “The chaos created by someone else simply distracts from yourself.”