Tribal chairman: South Dakota at center of 'political universe'

While urging cooperation with tribes, Chairman J. Garrett Renville says it's 'OK' to not always agree

(Austin Goss/The Dakota Scout)

Tribal chairman J. Garrett Renville called for state leaders and tribal leaders to rebuild relations strained by decisions and statements made by past leaders.

He cited statements made by Gov. Kristi Noem, who alleged that some tribal leaders work with Mexican cartels, as well as other statements over the years that she made without consulting the tribes. Though he didn’t name Noem in that context, he cited statements she had made.

Those statements got Noem, who has had rocky relations with the tribes since taking office, banned from the state’s nine tribal nations, although the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe has lifted its ban. She started her tenure as governor with a “riot boosting” bill that targeted oil pipeline protests, and she also fought with tribes during the Covid pandemic when some erected checkpoints on roadways to deter people from coming into their communities.

“Today, let’s reset,” Renville told a joint session of the Legislature. “Today, let’s rebuild. Today, let’s start to listen and actually hear.”