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- By Brian Edwards
The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe lifted its banishment of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem this week, just days before her Friday confirmation hearing for the position of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.
Tribal President Anthony Reider informed Noem of the decision in a January 14 letter, writing she had fulfilled the tribe's conditions by addressing her previous statements about tribal members and their children.
The original ban came after Noem claimed at the state legislature that "cartels have a presence on several of South Dakota's tribal reservations" and later suggested tribal leaders were "personally benefiting" from cartels. She also drew criticism for saying Native children "don't have any hope" and "don't have parents who show up and help them." All nine tribal nations in South Dakota subsequently banned her from their lands.
Meanwhile in the state's capital, tribal leaders are pushing for improved state relations as Noem prepares to leave for her federal role. During Wednesday's State of the Tribes address, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Chairman J. Garrett Renville called for a "reset" with state leadership.
"Today, let's start to listen and actually hear," Renville told state lawmakers.
Standing Rock Chairwoman Janet Alkire expressed optimism about working with Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden, who will become governor if Noem is confirmed. Alkire said Rhoden has demonstrated openness to tribal collaboration, according to nonprofit newsroom South Dakota Searchlight.
In his comments, Renville presented key initiatives for state-tribal collaboration, from creating a permanent BIA law enforcement training facility to changing tax policies on tribal land purchases and reorganizing education oversight.
Noem's confirmation hearing is scheduled for Friday morning in Washington, D.C. If confirmed, she would oversee U.S. border security, immigration policy, and counter-terrorism efforts. Through a spokesman, she expressed appreciation for the Flandreau tribe's support of her nomination, according to a report by KELO in Sioux Falls.
As the incoming administration prepares for transition in the nation’s capital, the Flandreau tribe is also advancing national ambitions. Its joint venture with TransGas Development Systems LLC to build the Adams Fork Energy facility in West Virginia represents a major expansion into clean energy. The $3 billion project's six plants will produce 36,000 tons of ammonia daily when operations begin in 2027, meeting one-fifth of the U.S. Department of Energy's 2030 clean hydrogen goals, according to an April 2024 announcement.
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