According to The Associated Press, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is currently prohibited from accessing almost 20% of her state.
She has been barred from entering the territories of the Yankton Sioux Tribe and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe, in addition to previous bans from the reservations of the Oglala, Rosebud, Cheyenne River, and Standing Rock Sioux tribes.
These actions result in Noem being denied entry to the reservations of six out of the state’s nine Native American tribes.
The restrictions come after her contentious comments that connected drug cartels with tribal leaders.
“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,” Noem said at a forum, per the AP.
“But I’m going to fight for the people who actually live in those situations, who call me and text me every day and say, ‘Please, dear governor, please come help us in Pine Ridge. We are scared,'” she added.
Noem’s remarks have faced strong criticism from tribes, including Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out, who expressed outrage at the suggestion that Sioux Tribal Councils are indifferent to their communities and children, and implicated in illicit activities.
Tensions escalated further due to conflicts over COVID-19 checkpoints, intensifying the strained relationship between the governor and the indigenous tribes.
Janet Alkire, the chairwoman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, also contributed her perspective: “Governor Kristi Noem’s wild and irresponsible attempt to connect tribal leaders and parents with Mexican drug cartels is a sad reflection of her fear-based politics that do nothing to bring people together to solve problems.”
The discord between Noem and the tribes dates back before her time as governor, originating from her endorsement of anti-protest laws after the Dakota Access Pipeline demonstrations at Standing Rock in 2016.
Noem faced criticism after revealing that she had euthanized her dog years ago due to its untrainable and aggressive behavior, causing a significant public relations setback during her bid to become Donald Trump’s running mate.
Despite this controversy, six individuals close to the former president informed Politico that Noem was already considered out of contention before the disclosure, although they did not completely dismiss her candidacy.
Trump appeared to show support for the governor amidst the criticism, making a statement about Noem: “Somebody that I love. She’s been with me, a supporter of mine and I’ve been a supporter of hers for a long time.”
