Native Americans Had Enough

By Deanna Maria R.

South Dakota’s 33rd Governor since 2019, Kristi Noem has been banned by all Native American tribes in her state. Instead of protecting Native American lands & supporting Native American peoples, Noem came out of the gate targeting the indigenous population as if she had just step off the Mayflower. A governor that is not welcome in nearly 20% of her state, is seemingly the same as a president not allowed in several countries if they are a convicted felon.

In 2019 Noem became governor. Also, in 2019 Noem supported the ‘riot boosting act’ that would stifle the voices of the indigenous protestors that were against the Keystone pipeline coming to close to Native American lands. Fortunately, even though the bill was passed, after legal challenges claiming it went against 1st amendments rights, South Dakota agreed not to enforce it. The Oglala Sioux Tribe gave her the FAFO moment she deserved in support of such laws connected to the Keystone pipeline and banned her from the reservation.

Now, in 2024 after trying to tie Tribal leaders to drug cartels, saying Native Americans neglect their children, and using anything else to sling mud at Natives, all 9 reservations in South Dakota have denied her access. That is 6.8 million acres (about the area of Belgium) that Noem is banned from. If a governor who has the responsibility of being the representee of the state in dealings with Native American Tribal leaders, and miserable fails at it, should she even be the governor? The Native Americans allegedly do not think so.

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