South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who recently made headlines after admitting to killing her own pet dog and a family goat, has been barred from entering 20% of the state. However, the ban was not imposed in response to the terrible murder of her 14-month-old puppy ‘Cricket’. So, what is it about?
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is banned from nearly 20% of her own state
The ban came after Noem stated that tribal chiefs profited from drug traffickers, prompting numerous Native American tribes to restrict her access to their land.
“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,” she told a forum in March.
The Yankton Sioux Tribe, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe, the Cheyenne River, the Standing Rock Sioux, the Oglala, and the Rosebud have all issued a ban on the Governor. Only three other tribes in the states are yet to announce any ban on her.
Following this, the governor appeared to reaffirm her views on Thursday, responding to the conversation on social media.
“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,” she wrote on X.
“We can only do this through partnerships because the Biden Administration is failing to do their job.”
South Dakota’s relationship with its Native American tribes has always been difficult.
Noem has previously clashed with tribal authorities, most notably during the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline demonstrations at Standing Rock, which resulted in her temporary suspension from the Oglala Sioux reservation in 2019.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, tribes built barricades at their reserve borders to limit the number of visitors, further straining connections with the state.
In April, Noem urged tribal leaders to remove the cartels from their territory, stating, “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.
Earlier in March, Noem requested an audit of federal assistance for South Dakota’s Native American tribes. Following this, dozens of the state’s Native Americans contacted her and praised her for telling the truth. They also requested some aid.
The governor claimed that she has always assisted the South Dakota tribe whenever they required it.
“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.