South Dakota tribe bans Gov. Kristi Noem from reservation over US-Mexico border remarks

A Native American tribe banned South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem from visiting the Pine Ridge Reservation after she said cartels have a presence on tribal reservations and she expressed support for Texas in its fight against illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe is "a sovereign nation" that does "not belong to the State of South Dakota," Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out said Friday.

"We are older than South Dakota! Due to the safety of the Oyate, effective immediately, you are hereby Banished from the homelands of the Oglala Sioux Tribe!" Star Comes Out wrote, using the Dakota word "Oyate," meaning people or nation.

Star Comes Out also accused Noem of trying to use the border crisis in her effort to be selected as former President Donald Trump's running mate in the 2024 election. 

His letter criticizing Noem came after she told a joint South Dakota Legislature session Wednesday that she is willing to provide Texas with more razor wire to use along the southern border.

She also said crime is a major issue on Native American reservations, but only the federal government, not the state, has the jurisdiction to intervene to address the issue. 

"Make no mistake, the cartels have a presence on several of South Dakota’s tribal reservations," Noem said. "Murders are being committed by cartel members on the Pine Ridge reservation and in Rapid City, and a gang called the 'Ghost Dancers' are affiliated with these cartels. They have been successful in recruiting tribal members to join their criminal activity."

Star Comes Out specifically took issue with Noem's comments regarding the "Ghost Dancers," saying that he is "deeply offended" by her allegations about what is one of the tribe's "most sacred ceremonies." 

Noem responded Saturday to Star Comes Out's letter.

"It is unfortunate that President Star Comes Out chose to bring politics into a discussion regarding the effects of our federal government’s failure to enforce federal laws at the southern border and on tribal lands," she said. "In my speech to the legislature earlier this week, I told the truth of the devastation that drugs and human trafficking have on our state and our people. The Mexican cartels are not only impacting our tribal reservations; they are impacting every community, from our big cities to our small towns."

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