Trump-Allied Governor Banned From Second Native American Reservation

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was banned from a second Native American reservation in her own state this week after alleging that drug cartels were using Indigenous land to facilitate crime.

Noem, a Republican floated as a potential vice presidential running mate for ex-President Donald Trump in November, was criticized by tribal leaders after saying at a town hall meeting in March that some Native American leaders were "personally benefitting" from Mexican cartels operating in their territory. She also claimed that children living on Indigenous reservations "don't have parents who show up and help them" and that tribal leaders are focused "on a political agenda more than they care about actually helping somebody's life look better."

The governor made similar accusations during a speech before the South Dakota Legislature in January, according to local reports, alleging that some cartels "have been successful in recruiting tribal members to join their criminal activity."

During a council meeting on Tuesday for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Chairman Ryman LeBeau called Noem's statements "gossip and lies about our Lakota students, their parents and our Tribal Councils," adding that the accusations "perpetuate stereotypes, misconceptions, which are inaccurate and untrue."

According to a report from Dakota News Now, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe motioned to ban Noem from traveling to tribal land in a 12-0 vote. Two members of the council were absent from the vote.

Noem was also banned from the Oglala Sioux Tribe in February. The tribe's president, Frank Star Comes Out, issued a four-page statement in response to Noem's comments made before the state legislature regarding alleged cartel activity on reservations, writing that he was "deeply offended" that the governor had accused his tribe of being "affiliated" with such groups.

"Due to the safety of the Oyate [people], effective immediately, you are hereby banished from the homelands of the Oglala Sioux Tribe," the president said.

Noem, an avid supporter of Trump, is one of several Republican governors who have become a prominent critic of federal policies involving immigration at the U.S.-southern border. She has also stood by Texas Governor Greg Abbott amid his fights with President Joe Biden over migration policies, including by sending dozens of South Dakota's National Guard to Texas' border with Mexico to help curb border crossings.

In a video message shared to social media on Thursday, Noem addressed the recent efforts by tribal leaders to "banish" her from their reservations, and said that some Indigenous groups were "upset with me because I told the truth about the Mexican drug cartels activity on our reservations."

"It's true. They're dangerous cartels in South Dakota and they're instigating drug addiction, committing murder, rape, human trafficking and so much more," Noem said in the video shared on X, formerly Twitter.

The governor added that banning her from the reservations "doesn't solve any of our problems" and encouraged tribes to work with her administration to "protect our people" and "uphold tribal sovereignty."

In a statement sent to Newsweek on Monday, LeBeau reiterated that Noem's "repeated falsification of information" was what led to her banishment and that the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe found the statements "deeply troubling."

"Governor Noem's banishment is a necessary step to safeguard the interests and well-being of our Tribal Nation," LeBeau added. "Rather than spreading lies like 'we have families living on our Tribal reservations with cartels that are within their communities' we urge her to recognize the importance of Tribal sovereignty and to work collaboratively with indigenous leaders to address the pressing issues facing our communities."

Update 04/8/24, 6:30 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional comment from Ryman LeBeau, chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.