Gov. Kristi Noem is now banned from all nine tribal reservations located in South Dakota.
The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe is the latest tribe to prohibit the governor from entering their land.
The eight other tribal governments with reservations in South Dakota previously endorsed banning Noem over her comments stating some tribal leaders benefit from drug cartels. She also said children born on reservations “don’t have any hope.”
Flandreau Santee Sioux President Tony Reider said he and Vice President Cyndi Weddell met with Noem on Monday. That conversation was “respectful and productive.”
Despite that, the tribe’s executive council moved forward with the ban Tuesday, asking the governor to clarify her statements and apologize to tribes. A statement from the tribe also questioned the advisors counseling Noem on tribal relations.
"The Executive Committee calls on the governor to reconsider the effectiveness of liaisons she has appointed and whether or not they truly have an understanding of the issues affecting tribal nations as well as their ability to foster a cooperative relationship between the Tribes and the State of South Dakota," the statement said.
The statement did not mention any advisors by name. Dave Flute, a former Chairman for the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, is the current Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations.
