South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been banned from entering 20 per cent of the state. Noem had recently been in the news for admitting to killing her pet dog and a family goat.
The ban came after Noem suggested that tribal chiefs benefited from narcotics traffickers. Several protests were raised against the statements forcing many Native American tribes to deny her access to their lands.
While speaking at a forum in March, she sparked a controversy by saying, "We've got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from the cartels being there, and that's why they attack me every day."
The Yankton Sioux Tribe, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe, the Cheyenne River, Standing Rock Sioux, and the Oglala, Rosebud tribes have imposed a ban on the Governor. Only three other tribes in the state are yet to announce any ban on her. Only three other tribes in the state are yet to announce any ban on her.
Tribals leaders should take action to ban the cartels from their lands and accept my offer to help them restore law and order to their communities while protecting their sovereignty.
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) May 9, 2024
We can only do this through partnerships because the Biden Administration is failing to do their… https://t.co/QrR1LpxxdX
Addressing the discussion on social media, Noem attacked the Biden administration for failing to do its job.
"Tribal leaders should take action to ban the cartels from their lands and accept my offer to help them restore law and order to their communities while protecting their sovereignty...We can only do this through partnerships because the Biden Administration is failing to do its job," she wrote on X.
Tensions between South Dakota and its Native American tribes have been tense for a long time. She was temporarily suspended from the Oglala Sioux reservation in 2019 for battling with tribe authorities.
Noem had encouraged tribal chiefs to remove the cartels from their lands and said "The cartels instigate drug addiction, murder, rape, human trafficking, and so much more in tribal communities across the nation, including in South Dakota."
“I will work with you to sign Law Enforcement Agreements to immediately assist you, respect your sovereignty, and uphold tribal law,” she added.
The Governor stated that she has always helped the South Dakota tribe whenever they required her assistance.
“I will continue to speak the truth, call out corruption wherever I see it, and fight to protect the lives of Native Americans in our state – because that’s what they deserve," she said, as per a release issued by her office.
