South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem banned from visiting land of two additional Tribes

By Meron Moges-Gerbi and Daniel Strauss, CNN

(CNN) — Two more Indigenous Tribes have banned Gov. Kristi Noem from entering their Tribal land adjacent to South Dakota, marking the latest escalation in an ongoing clash between Noem and Tribal leaders over the governor’s previous remarks about Native communities.

The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe voted to bar Noem from their land on Wednesday, and two days later, the Yankton Sioux Tribe followed suit.

The bans come after the governor made recent comments that many found to be disparaging, alleging that Tribal leaders were “benefiting from cartels being there and that’s why they attack me every day,” Noem said at a community forum last month in Winner, South Dakota, according to the Associated Press.

The Standing Rock Sioux, Cheyenne River Sioux, Rosebud Sioux, and Oglala Sioux Tribes have all moved to banish the governor from their lands.

In an email to CNN, Yankton Sioux Council Member Ryan Cournoyer said the governor has not apologized or showed remorse for insulting Native people.

“We answered our people’s call for us to stand up and take action against Governor Noem showing that we are united with the Great Sioux Nation of South Dakota, we wanted to send a message that the disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated,” he said.

“This decision does not come after one or two incidents but after years of witnessing the governor’s harmful and aggressive actions against Tribes,” Cournoyer said.

Noem has sought to connect her past comments about Tribal leaders to the Biden administration and its handling of crime and border security.

On Thursday, Noem seemed to double down on her past comments against the Tribes.

“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. We can only do this through partnerships because the Biden Administration is failing to do their job,” Noem wrote on X.

“Banishing Governor Noem does nothing to solve the problem,” a spokesperson for Noem said in a statement.

“She calls on all our tribal leaders to banish the cartels from tribal lands,” the spokesperson said.

Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribal Chairman J. Garret Renville told CNN the governor’s comments “are not only baseless and without merit but also deeply offensive and harmful to the fabric of our community.”

“By perpetuating harmful stereotypes and spreading misinformation, Governor Noem has demonstrated a blatant disregard for the dignity and well-being of Native American people,” Renville said.

Noem, who was once considered to be on former President Donald Trump’s 2024 shortlist for vice presidential candidates, has faced increased scrutiny in recent weeks after excerpts from her recently released book, “No Going Back,” drew the ire of pet owners and world leaders alike.

Noem’s name had fallen off Trump’s short list for vice president even before excerpts of her book were released, CNN previously reported. Trump has said recently he likes her “a lot” despite the “rough” few days she’s experienced after her book was released.

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