Noem’s DHS Nomination: Tribal Bans and a Troubled Past
Kristi Noem’s Senate confirmation hearing highlighted the strained relationship between her administration and South Dakota’s tribal nations. While Noem cited a state-funded law enforcement training program as evidence of collaboration, she remains banned from eight of the state’s nine reservations due to accusations of enabling drug cartels, accusations tribal leaders vehemently deny. One tribe has since lifted the ban following an apology from Noem, but the remaining reservations maintain the prohibition. This situation underscores the deep divisions and lingering mistrust between the Governor and the state’s Indigenous communities.
John Q. Hosedrinker