Governor Kristi Noem is Prohibited From Roughly 20% of South Dakota After Tribal Vote

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been prohibited from entering almost 20% of her state. This is because two additional tribes have banished her due to comments she made earlier this year. Her comments suggested that tribal leaders were benefiting from drug cartels.

The most recent updates in the ongoing conflict between tribes happened after Noem received criticism for writing about killing a hunting dog that misbehaved in her latest book. It is difficult to say how these controversies will impact her chances of becoming Donald Trump’s running mate because it is uncertain what the former president will decide.

The Yankton Sioux Tribe has decided to prohibit Noem from entering their land in southeastern South Dakota. This decision comes shortly after the Sisseton-Wahpeton Ovate tribe also took the same action. The Oglala, Rosebud, Cheyenne River, and Standing Rock Sioux tribes had already made efforts to prevent her from entering their reservations. Three other tribes have not yet prohibited her.

In March, Noem made a public statement that further emphasised the differences between the tribes and the rest of the state. She claimed that tribal leaders were prioritising drug cartels over the well-being of children and the poor on their reservations.

“There are some tribal leaders who I think are personally benefiting from the cartels being present, and that’s why they attack me every day,” Noem said at a forum. “However, I will advocate for the individuals who are currently experiencing those circumstances. They reach out to me regularly through phone calls and text messages, pleading, ‘Governor, we implore you to come to Pine Ridge and assist us.” We are afraid.

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Noem’s spokesperson did not answer email questions about the bans on Saturday. Previously, she mentioned that she thinks many people who live on the reservations still support her, even though she is not getting along with tribal leaders.

Noem talked about the issue in a post on social media on Thursday. She also shared a link to a YouTube channel that has a video about law enforcement and drugs on the reservations.

“Tribal leaders should take action to prevent the cartels from operating on their lands. They should also consider accepting my offer to assist them in restoring law and order in their communities, all while protecting their sovereignty,” stated Noem. “We can only accomplish this by working together with other organisations because the Biden Administration is not fulfilling their responsibilities.”

In the past, the tribes have had conflicts with Noem. This includes disagreements over the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in 2016 at Standing Rock and during the COVID-19 pandemic when they established checkpoints at reservation borders to prevent unnecessary visitors. In 2019, she was banned from the Oglala Sioux reservation for a short period of time due to a dispute that occurred during a protest.

There has been a long history of difficult relationships between Native Americans in the state and the government. This history dates back to 1890 when soldiers shot and killed many Lakota men, women, and children at the Wounded Knee massacre. This was done as part of a campaign to stop a religious practice called the Ghost Dance.

Cal Jillson, a political observer from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, believes that this tribal dispute is unique because Noem appears to be actively fueling it, indicating that she may see a political advantage in doing so.

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“Jillson said that Gov. Noem probably doesn’t have a problem with people discussing the conflicts between Native Americans in South Dakota. This is because if people aren’t talking about that, they might be talking about an incident where she shot a dog,” Jillson said.

Noem seems to be getting tired of answering questions about her choice to euthanize Cricket. Cricket attacked a family’s chickens during a stop on the way home from a hunting trip and also attempted to bite the governor. During her appearance on “Face the Nation,” she was questioned about a section in her book that discussed President Biden’s dog, Commander. The dog had gained a reputation for biting individuals at the White House. In the book, Noem writes that if she had the opportunity to visit the White House, she would say, “Commander, please greet Cricket.”

Noem expressed that the president should be responsible for the dog. When Brennan asked if she meant the president should be shot, she did not confirm or deny. Noem responded again, saying, “That is what the president should be responsible for.”

Noem received negative feedback for including a story in her book that she later requested to be removed. The story described a private meeting where she claimed to have confidently confronted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which experts found to be unlikely. It is not known to the public if she has ever visited North Korea or met with the secretive Kim.