S.D. tribal officials opt to meet with N.D. Gov. Burgum instead of Noem

Some officials also skip Noem's tribal summit to commemorate victory at Little Big Horn

PIERRE — Dueling Indian conferences in the Dakotas on Monday saw delegations from the states’ two border reservations head north to Bismarck to meet with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum instead of attending South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s event.

Both the Standing Rock Sioux and the Sisseton Wahpeton tribes sent representatives to meet with Burgum in his state capital on the same day Noem held her first tribal public safety crisis summit in Pierre. Burgum, North Dakota's governor since 2016, organizes the event yearly to connect the two tribes with state agencies and his staff.

Burgum is considered a finalist to become presidential candidate Donald Trump’s running mate, a position Noem has spent years angling for.

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