South Dakota Governor's Cabinet Nomination Raises Tribal Concerns

By Amelia Schafer. ICT.

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Early Tuesday morning, news broke that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, a decision that’s raised red flags for Native people in South Dakota, but also may provide an avenue for change.

“We need to come together now, more than ever,” Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out said during a public intertribal meeting Nov. 13. “I’m hoping we have a better governor in South Dakota that will work with us because we have issues that we need to bring to the table with the state.”

Noem made South Dakota history earlier in May when she was banished from every reservation in the state following disparaging remarks made regarding alleged cartel activity on reservations and about Indian education. At one point Noem alleged tribal governments benefit from cartel presence and are failing their youth.

During a May press conference, Noem responded to the banishments by asking why tribes “don’t ban the cartels.” She’s banned from all nine reservations in the state: the Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River, Standing Rock, Lower Brule, Rosebud, Lake Traverse, Crow Creek, Flandreau and Yankton reservations. Standing Rock and Lake Traverse both span into North Dakota.

There is no definitive proof cartel members are operating on any of the nine reservations in South Dakota. One of the cases Noem cited on the Pine Ridge Reservation as being evidence of the cartel has no evidence of cartel association, according to Ace Crawford, public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The Republican-controlled Senate must still confirm Noem’s appointment.

As Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Noem would be responsible for the third largest department in the U.S. government, overseeing the Transportation Security Authority, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard, Secret Service, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers and the Science and Technology Directorate.

Emergency management is another area where Noem and the Oceti Sakowin (Lakota, Nakota, Dakota) nations have struggled.

In December 2022, the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations were crippled by an extreme winter storm. Unable to get wood or propane, some households resorted to burning clothes and furniture to stay warm. A 12-year-old Sicangu Lakota boy, Honor Beauvais, died during the storm on the Rosebud Reservation, along with three other tribal citizens.

When banning the governor, the Rosebud Sioux tribe cited a delayed emergency declaration from Noem. Noem did not activate the South Dakota National Guard until Dec. 22, nearly 10 days after the storm began.

The council also cited concerns with Noem’s support of the Keystone XL Pipeline in 2019 and an increase in penalties for pipeline protestors, referenced Noem’s opposition of COVID-19 checkpoints on the Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River Reservations, removal of teaching standards regarding Native American history, legal threats to the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe regarding its medical cannabis operations and return of unused Emergency Rental Assistance funds in 2022 without consulting tribes.

Noem’s 2024 verbal attacks on tribal education have not been forgotten either, said organizers with the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition.

“Our concern is the active weaponization of Noem’s initiatives against Indian Country in general but specifically education,” said Executive Director Sarah White, Oglala Lakota.

Executive Order 2019-1 separated the Department of Indian Education from the state’s Department of Education and placed it under tribal relations in what the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition calls a “move to evade tribal governments.” The coalition also referenced Noem’s limiting of the Oceti Sakowin standards, the state’s Native American education standards.

“When our state leader gets (selected for) a federal position our students notice that, and these students have witnessed the harmful impacts of her leadership here,” White said. “I think that further harms Indigenous students and sets a standard that non-Indigenous people can treat Indigenous communities this way.”

Since Jan. 31, Noem has focused heavily on the Southern Border, her crusade against alleged cartels in Indian Country being part of a move to “push an agenda” tribal leaders said earlier this year.

“As we’re watching people be selected for this cabinet, it’s really clear that the president-elect does not care about qualifications or effectiveness, he only cares about loyalty,” said Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective CEO and founder. “Kristi Noem was a yes man.”

Noem’s past statements about the border are an indicator of what’s to come, the Oglala Lakota nonprofit leader said.

“Families are going to be ripped apart, internment camps are going to be created, mass deportations are going to happen, and Kristi Noem is going to have blood on her hands,” Tilsen said. “This is going to be a terrible chapter in American history.”

Others like White are hopeful the next governor will be more open to working with Indigenous people. If Noem is confirmed, Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden would serve the remainder of her term, which is set to expire in 2026.

Rhoden has a limited history with tribes in South Dakota.

In 2009 as a state senator, Rhoden co-sponsored a bill to honor Lower Brule Sioux Tribe citizen and former Chairman Michael Jandreau for his lifelong service to the tribe, state and nation – one of two Indian Affairs-related pieces of legislation that Rhoden co-sponsored as senator.

Thune’s appointment well-received

The announcement that longtime South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune will serve as the Senate majority leader didn’t come as a shock to many Indigenous leaders. Thune’s record with Indigenous people in South Dakota is much more positive than Noem’s.

“I think it’s a natural fit given the makeup of the Senate,” Tilsen said. “My biggest hope is that he doesn’t forget about South Dakota.”

Thune has sponsored and co-sponsored several positive Indigenous legislation measures as senator, including a bill to return the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre back to tribes alongside fellow South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds. The bill directs the Department of the Interior to complete all actions necessary to place approximately 40 acres of land in Oglala Lakota County into restricted fee status for the Oglala and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes.

“He has a legal obligation to remember the Indian people of South Dakota,” Tilsen said. “We are his constituents, whether we voted for him or not, he still has a responsibility to remember Native people. I hope he remembers that. I hope he remembers his roots, as he steps into this leadership role.”

According to his campaign website, Thune has worked to improve tribal infrastructure, tribal housing and tribal education and strengthen law enforcement.

“We are excited for Senator Thune to serve as the Senate Majority Leader,” said Ryman LeBeau, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe chairman, in a statement to ICT and the Rapid City Journal. “We’ve been working with Thune for years and he’s always been supportive of our issues and we appreciate his advocacy. We look forward to continuing our work with him and his staff.”