Gov. Kristi Noem banned from second South Dakota reservation

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe bans Noem over comments linking cartel to tribal leadership

(Native News Online)

Gov. Kristi Noem is being forbidden from traveling to a Native American reservation in northern South Dakota, as backlash to remarks she made about tribal leadership continues.

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council voted unanimously Tuesday to forbid the governor from coming on to its land, the second tribe in the state to do so after the Oglala Sioux Tribe did earlier this year.

“As you know she (Noem) has made some false allegations, some lies,” Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman Ryman LeBeau told council members, referring to remarks the governor made at a town hall last month suggesting that certain tribal leaders were benefitting from the presence of drug cartels on their reservations. “There have been pretty negative and derogatory statements.”

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LeBeau — who did not respond to a request for comment from The Dakota Scout — also expressed frustration that Noem showed up without invitation to a meeting of state tribal leaders last week in Rapid City.