All nine South Dakota tribes have officially endorsed the banishment of Gov. Kristi Noem from their lands. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe’s executive council voted in favor of banishing the governor from their reservation after she made disparaging remarks against Native American parents during a town hall earlier in the year. This decision was made in response to her claims about Mexican drug cartels having a presence on South Dakota Indian reservations, which put pressure on the tribe’s leaders from their citizenry to punish Noem for her comments. The tribe had a heated discussion and eventually decided to join the other eight tribal governments in officially endorsing Noem’s banishment, standing in solidarity with their fellow tribes in South Dakota.
Prior to the decision, tribal citizens had urged council members to banish Noem, expressing discomfort and agitation towards her comments. The council office was busy on the day of the meeting, with tribal members entering the meeting chambers to catch the discussion. Reporters caught council members during a recess, and they mentioned that the council remained undecided on the issue. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe is the last of the state’s Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota tribal governments to endorse Noem’s banishment. The decision was made to ensure they do not end up on the wrong side of history in this moment.
The decision to banish Gov. Kristi Noem from their lands came after tribal leaders met with her in Pierre, where the meeting was described as respectful and productive. Noem expressed that it was never her intention to cause offense and she wanted to focus on solutions to the challenges faced in some areas of Indian country. The Yankton Sioux Tribe’s Business and Claims Committee also voted to support Noem’s punishment, but the general council has yet to adopt an official measure. Noem had initiated her cartel-tribal rhetoric in January when she described the Texas-Mexico border as under invasion and alleged that cartels were using reservations to spread drugs. She continued to push this narrative in the following months, prompting the tribes to take action.
Despite the banishment measures taken by the tribes, Gov. Kristi Noem continued to emphasize her claim that Mexican cartels are using South Dakota’s Indian lands as safe havens to distribute drugs. In a press conference, she stated that banishing her would not solve the problem but rather help those perpetuating crimes in the state. The governor’s spokesman pointed back to her remarks during the press conference, indicating her stance on the issue. The banishment of Noem from tribal lands was a unified decision by all nine South Dakota tribes, showing their commitment to standing in solidarity and addressing the challenges faced by their communities.
