Gov. Kristi Noem now banned from all South Dakota tribal lands
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is now banished from an even bigger chunk of her state after all nine tribes have banned her.
The dog-shooting Republican was banished Tuesday by the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, the final tribe to take such action over her comments accusing Native Americans of being in league with Mexican cartels and of neglecting their children’s education, the Argus Leader reported.
Noem — who until recently had been tipped to be former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate — was already banished from around 20% of her state even before the final three of the nine tribes took action.
The final decision came after Flandreau leadership had a “respectful and productive” meeting with Noem on Sunday, the Argus Leader added.
Tyler Rambeau, the executive administrative assistant of the FSST Homeowners Assistance Fund, told the outlet that the leadership had faced pressure from the community to ban Noem.
“We need to stand in solidarity with our fellow tribes in South Dakota, the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ. We do not want to come up on the wrong side of history in this moment,” he said.
The tribe’s formal announcement included a statement from Noem, who insisted “It was never [her] intent to cause offense by speaking truth to the real challenges that are being faced in some areas of Indian country.
“I want to focus on solutions that lead to safer communities for all our families, better educational outcomes for all our children and declining addiction numbers for all of our people,” she added.
“It is my hope that the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe will give us the opportunity to partner together in a way that can be an example for all.”
Of the nine tribal governments in South Dakota only one – the Yankton Sioux Tribe – has not adopted a formal measure banning Noem from their land.
However, the Yankton tribe’s Business and Claims Committee voted unanimously to support the governor’s punishment on May 10, the Argus Leader said.
The major rift between Noem and the tribal governments started on Jan. 31, when she gave an 18-minute speech during an emergency joint session that accused the tribes of aiding the Mexican drug cartels.
“The cartels are using our reservations to facilitate the spread of drugs throughout the Midwest,” Noem insisted.
Noem doubled down in March, when she suggested – despite a lack of evidence – that tribal leaders were “personally benefiting” from the cartels.
The comments lead to a ripple effect of tribes voting to bar the governor from their lands in the state.
The Yankton Sioux Tribe and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe held votes earlier in May, while the Standing Rock Sioux, Crow Creek Sioux, Rosebud, Cheyenne River Sioux, Oglala Sioux and Lower Brule Sioux tribes all passed similar measures earlier in the year, CNN reported.
By mid-May, Noem was banned from 20 percent of the state she governed.
“Banishing me does nothing to solve this problem or to help those who are suffering horrific tragedies,” Noem said last week.
In a statement to The Post Thursday afternoon, Noem said she wants to “speak truth to the real challenges that are being faced in some areas of Indian Country.”
“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,” she said.
“We cannot tackle these issues without addressing the problem: dangerous criminals who perpetuate violence and illegal activities in all areas of our state. 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.”
The decimation of Noem’s relationship with the South Dakota tribes came as she faced backlash for writing about killing a young hunting dog in her new book.
Noem’s tome also described a supposed sit-down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un – though she has now asked her publisher to pull the anecdote from the book.
The slew of bad press probably tainted Noem’s chances of being Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s VP pick, political observer Cal Jillson said earlier this month.
“I think that the chaos that Trump revels in is the chaos he creates. Chaos created by somebody else simply detracts attention from himself,” Jillson opined.
With Post wires
