The Oglala Sioux Tribe, South Dakota’s largest, has officially banished Gov. Kristi Noem from its territories, escalating tensions over her comments on crime and illegal immigration on reservations. In a controversial statement on Jan. 31, Gov. Noem linked the surge in crime within the state, including on tribal lands, to illegal immigration.
“The drugs and human trafficking pouring over the border devastate our people,” Noem said.
She claimed that cartels are operating on tribal reservations, particularly citing the Pine Ridge Reservation and Rapid City as areas affected by cartel-related murders and gang affiliations, including a group known as the Ghost Dancers.
The tribe’s response came in a detailed four-page letter from Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out , who criticized Noem’s characterization of the border situation as an “invasion” and expressed “deep offense” at the association of the sacred Ghost Dancers ceremony with criminal activities.
“Drug and human trafficking are occurring throughout South Dakota, and surrounding states, not just on Indian reservations,” Star Comes Out stated, emphasizing that the issue was not exclusive to tribal lands.