Days after the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe prohibited South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem from entering tribal land, another Sioux tribe, the Yankton Sioux, has also joined in banning the Republican governor. The Yankton Sioux tribe has voted to bar Noem from their small territory of approximately 57 square miles in southeastern South Dakota. While this may seem like a minor addition, it further limits Noem’s permitted areas within her own state, as she is already banned from a significant 16 percent of South Dakota’s territory. In fact, if you were to look at a map, it becomes clear that Noem’s options are becoming increasingly limited, to the point where she essentially has to confine herself to the interstate highway.
The six tribes that have imposed the ban on Noem have done so in response to disparaging and racist remarks she made during a town hall meeting in March. In her comments, Noem suggested that Native parents were not dedicated to their children’s education and baselessly accused tribal leaders of colluding with Mexican cartels on reservation lands. These offensive statements have prompted the tribes to stand firm on their decision to ban Noem, with the intention of upholding the ban until she offers a sincere apology.
