- South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is barred from nearly 20% of her state, The Associated Press reported.
- It comes after her controversial remarks linking tribal leaders and drug cartels.
- The bans build on preexisting tensions stemming from Noem's anti-protest stance and COVID-19 clashes.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is now barred from entering nearly 20% of her state, The Associated Press reported.
The governor has now been barred from land belonging to the Yankton Sioux Tribe and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe, adding to her previous bans from the reservations of the Oglala, Rosebud, Cheyenne River, and Standing Rock Sioux tribes, per the report.
The moves mean Noem will be refused entry to the reservations of six out of the state's nine Native American tribes.
It follows her controversial remarks linking drug cartels and tribal leaders.
"We've got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from the cartels being there, and that's why they attack me every day," Noem said at a forum, per The AP.
"But I'm going to fight for the people who actually live in those situations, who call me and text me every day and say, 'Please, dear governor, please come help us in Pine Ridge. We are scared,'" she added.
Tribes have slammed Noem's comments, with Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out, saying: "How dare the Governor allege that Sioux Tribal Councils do not care about their communities or their children, and, worse, that they are involved in nefarious activities?" The AP previously reported.
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe chairwoman Janet Alkire added: "Governor Kristi Noem's wild and irresponsible attempt to connect tribal leaders and parents with Mexican drug cartels is a sad reflection of her fear-based politics that do nothing to bring people together to solve problems."
Noem's strained relationship with the tribes predates her governorship, beginning with her support for antiprotest legislation following the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock in 2016.
Subsequent clashes over COVID-19 checkpoints exacerbated tensions between the governor and local tribes.
Noem recently came under fire for admitting that, a few decades ago, she killed her dog because it was untrainable and overly aggressive, in what many saw as a major publicity blow amid her campaign to be Donald Trump's running mate.
But six people close to the former president told Politico that Noem had been out of the running even before the revelation — although they did not rule her bid out entirely.
Trump seemingly stood by the governor amid the backlash, saying of Noem: "Somebody that I love. She's been with me, a supporter of mine and I've been a supporter of hers for a long time."