Bluestem last posted about the conflict between South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and South Dakota's nine tribal nations over her reckless and disrespectful assertions about cartels on the reservations and native children having no hope.
My last post was last week's After Lower Brule vote, eight of South Dakota's nine tribes have endorsed Noem ban.
Multiple sources are reporting that the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe now stands in solidarity with the other nations of the Oceti Sakowin.
At the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Dominik Dausch reports in 'Solidarity': All 9 South Dakota Native American tribes endorse Kristi Noem's banishment:
Key Points
- All nine South Dakota tribes have officially endorsed the banishment of Gov. Kristi Noem from their lands.
- Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe's executive council voted Tuesday in favor of banishing the South Dakota governor from their reservation
- The governor initiated her cartel-tribal rhetoric Jan. 31.
All nine South Dakota tribes have officially endorsed the banishment of Gov. Kristi Noem from their lands.
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe's executive council voted Tuesday in favor of banishing the South Dakota governor from their reservation after she made disparaging remarks earlier this year against Native American parents during a town hall in Mitchell, saying their children "have no hope."
She has also continually pushed claims that Mexican drug cartels have a "presence" on South Dakota Indian reservations.
This has placed Flandreau Santee Sioux leaders under pressure by their citizenry to punish Noem for her comments.
Prior to the decision, Tyler Rambeau, executive administrative assistant of the FSST Homeowners Assistance Fund, told the Argus Leader tribal citizens have urged council members to banish Noem.
"A lot of us are really wondering why it's even a question and why we're holding off so long," Rambeau said. "A lot of us are really uncomfortable and upset with that." . . .
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe is the last of the state's Dakota, Lakota and Nakota tribal governments to endorse Noem's banishment and the eighth to make it official.
"We need to stand in solidarity with our fellow tribes in South Dakota, the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ," Rambeau said. "We do not want to come up on the wrong side of history in this moment." . . .
Read the rest of the story at the Argus Leader. In Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe bans Gov. Noem Dakota News Now and Keloland in Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe banning Noem, an image of the tribe's press release has been published:
Here on the Lake Traverse Reservation, I heard sentiments second-hand of Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate members who are not pleased with South Dakota Tribal Relations Secretary David Flute, an SWO citizen and former tribal chair, in the service of Governor Noem's administration, so it wasn't surprising to see similar criticism of Flute by the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe in the Dakota Scout article South Dakota tribe says Gov. Noem getting bad advice, calls for resignations.
Joe Sneve and Austin Goss report:
Gov. Kristi Noem’s latest banishment by a tribal government also comes with calls for leadership changes at the state Capitol – and not just within her office.
The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe’s (FSST) Executive Council has joined the state’s eight other tribal governments in banning or moving legislation for a ban on the second-term governor from reservation land – the Yankton Sioux Tribe’s Business and Claims Committee voted to support a ban but is awaiting final action.
In admonishing the governor for making “blanket statements” about Indian Country and Mexican drug cartel activity, the Flandreau Executive Council Tuesday also demanded the job of Noem’s top tribal relations advisor and new leadership on the Legislature’s Tribal State Relations Committee. . . .
The vote in Flandreau comes a day after members of the tribe’s leadership met with the governor to discuss ongoing tension between officials on the reservation and the state. According to a news release from FSST, it became clear to tribal officials that the governor is relying on advisors in deciding how to effectively communicate with tribal governments and that her messaging has been “ill-advised and escalated the situation.”
The resolution explicitly called for the resignations of Tribal Relations Secretary David Flute and the highest-ranking legislators on the State-Tribal Relations Committee – Rep. Tamara St. John and Sen. Mike Rohl, crediting them for failing to stem what’s become a months-long and increasingly combative feud between South Dakota’s tribal nations and the state.
Flute, an enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribe, has served as tribal relations secretary for the entirety of Noem’s tenure as governor.
House and Senate chairs of committees are determined by legislative leadership.
The governor’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment Tuesday afternoon and evening.
Rohl and St. John, though, are defending themselves and the committee’s involvement.
Rohl told The Dakota Scout he’d hoped the State-Tribal Relations Committee might hear from tribal governments this summer, saying he recently extended an invitation to FSST leaders.
“I have a lot of respect for the FSST leaders and people and I hope they respond to the invitation to meet that I personally sent last week – it has yet to be answered,” the Aberdeen Republican said. “When the FSST is ready to have those hard talks, the committee is available.”
St. John, also a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, said she has the same frustrations about the governor using reservations to advance her southern border policy agenda. And she noted that the Legislature’s State-Tribal Relations Committee functions independently from the governor’s the tribal relations department that Flute oversees. . . .
Read the rest of the article at the Scout.
At the Rapid City Journal, Amelia Schafer reports in Final South Dakota tribe bans Gov. Noem:
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is now banned from entering the lands of all nine tribes in South Dakota.
Following a meeting on Tuesday, May 21, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe moved to ban the governor from the reservation in solidarity with the other eight Oceti Sakowin tribes in South Dakota.
The tribal council held an emergency meeting Saturday, May 18, during which no decision was made. On Monday, May 20, tribal leaders met with the governor’s office to further discuss the issue. The next day, the executive council voted to ban Noem.
The decision was made in response to inflammatory comments made by Noem about the tribes since January 31.
“The Executive Committee calls on the governor to reconsider the effectiveness of the liaisons she has appointed and whether or not they truly have an understanding of the issues affecting tribal nations as well as their ability to foster a cooperative relationship between the Tribes and the State of South Dakota,” the Tribe said in a May 21 press release.
Dave Flute, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations, was formerly chairman of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate in northeastern South Dakota.
Several weeks ago, Noem announced the appointment of former Oglala Sioux Tribe Police Chief Algin Young as her new tribal law enforcement liaison.
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe President Tony Reider informed Noem of her banning and requested that she refrain from making future statements that offend all of Indian Country. The tribe also called for an apology from the governor. . . .
At the South Dakota Searchlight, staff reports in Flandreau tribe says Noem ban ‘is imminent':
The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe said Tuesday that its president “informed the governor that a ban from our territories is imminent,” according to a news release obtained and published by multiple media outlets.
South Dakota Searchlight’s messages to tribal officials seeking further comment were not immediately returned. The tribe was the only one of nine in the state that hadn’t yet endorsed a ban of Gov. Kristi Noem from its lands.
The banishments began after Noem said during a speech in January that Mexican cartels were operating on Native American reservations. More bans came after Noem said during March town halls in Winner and Mitchell that some tribal leaders are “personally benefitting” from cartels, and that children on reservations “don’t have any hope” because “they don’t have parents who show up and help them.”
The Noem administration has questioned the validity of the Yankton Sioux Tribe ban, because it was adopted by that tribe’s Business and Claims Committee. The committee is the highest elected body under the tribe’s unique structure, but its action to ban Noem is not considered final and enforceable without a vote of tribal members, which hasn’t occurred.
Noem has not adjusted her rhetoric in response to the bans. During a press conference last week, she reiterated allegations of cartel activity on reservations and said, “Banishing me does absolutely nothing to solve this problem. All it does is help those who are perpetuating horrible violence and crimes against the people that are citizens of the state of South Dakota.”
Flandreau Santee Sioux tribal members discussed a potential Noem ban Saturday during a meeting that was “contentious at times,” according to the tribe’s Tuesday news release.
The release said President Anthony “Tony” Reider and Vice President Cyndi Weddell met with Noem on Monday for a conversation that was “respectful and productive.”
But the tribe’s Executive Council continued deliberations Tuesday, the release said, and agreed that Noem’s rhetoric was “ill advised.”
“President Reider informed the governor that a ban from our territories is imminent and requested that the Governor refrain from making future blanket statements that offend the tribes within the boundaries of the State of South Dakota, some of which depend on state services for the needs of their people,” the press release said.
“It was recommended that the Governor clarify her statements and issue an apology to all tribal nations for the misunderstanding,” the release continued. “Until such a time, the Executive Council and the people of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe stand with our fellow nations.”
The South Dakota Searchlight article is republished here under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Bluestem will keep an eye open on this developing story.
Related posts
- Noem hires former Oglala Sioux police chief for state post as another tribe votes to ban her -{South Dakota Searchlight]
- Ihaƞktoƞwaƞ Dakota Oyate: Sixth tribe bans Governor Kristi Noem from reservation
- Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate bans Governor Kristi Noem from Lake Traverse Reservation
- Tensions continue between Noem, tribes
- News update on Noem's pairing reservations, tribal leaders with cartels; Rep. St. John's reply
- Noem calls for audit of tribes; ICT News/Rapid City Journal reporter finds the receipts
- Malice: she's on it. Tribal leaders insulted after Governor Noem claims they "are personally benefiting from the cartels being here
- In Winner, Noem links tribal leaders to cartels
- SWO Dakota to Governor Noem: don't single out reservations when drugs are a statewide problem
- Noem banned from Pine Ridge Reservation over remarks in border speech to state legislature
- Explaining and gaining? Noem concedes Texas costs were gift to Lone Star state; meets with two South Dakota House tribal members
- Drug cartels have infiltrated reservations, Noem says, but some tribal voices call speech ‘political’
- Noem to address Legislature on ‘potential South Dakota response’ to Mexico border situation
- No word on who paid or if she packed razor wire: Noem travels again to Texas-Mexico border
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