Gov. Kristi Noem said she is holding a tribal public safety crisis summit next month.
This comes amid tension between the governor and many tribal governments.
Noem said the goal of the summit is to find solutions to the violence on tribal reservations. Five tribes have declared states of emergencies due to increased crime.
Noem said the federal government should be doing more to help South Dakota tribes.
“Bringing all of these people together will hopefully bring some accountability, too. It will help us move forward to get the federal government to do the types of audits that they need to do, down to the district level as well, to make sure that our public tribal safety needs are met,” Noem said.
Noem has been banned from all nine reservations located in South Dakota over comments linking some tribal officials to drug cartels.
Despite this, Noem is inviting leaders from each tribe. She said the summit could be a chance to move past poor relations.
“We need to focus on working together on solutions. Now, this summit is going to be a great opportunity to do that. It’s my hope that tribal leadership will take the opportunity to work with me, to be an example how cooperation is better for all people rather than just political attacks,” Noem said.
This summit takes place June 24 in Pierre.
