The Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota has banned Republican Gov. Kristi Noem from the Pine Ridge Reservation over her stance on the ongoing border crisis, according to the Associated Press.
noem talked Friday, a joint session of the state Legislature regarding the ongoing border crisis and issues between Texas and the federal government. South Dakota's governor noted that even the Mount Rushmore State is directly affected by the immigration crisis, warning that cartels are encroaching on the tribe's reservation, the Pine Ridge Reservation. According to the paper, Noem expressed support for Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, and said she wanted to send more razor wire and security guards to the Texas border.
Tensions between Texas officials and the federal government escalated in late January following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed the Biden administration to remove razor wire from the border. The decision prompted Republican governors to support Mr. Abbott after he ignored calls from the federal government to end border enforcement enforcement against illegal immigrants.
hearing Noem endorsed Abbott in her speech to the joint session, but the Oglala Sioux chief said Frank Starr appears slammed The governor expelled her from tribal land because of her position, according to the Associated Press. (Related: 'What did he do?': CNN host goes silent after South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem questions Biden on border crisis)
“Many of the people who come to America's southern border in search of jobs and a better life are Indians from places like El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico, who believe they don't deserve to be dehumanized and abused by Indians. I believe that people like Governor Abbott and his ilk are being caged, separated from their children, and especially chopped up with razor wire provided by the state of South Dakota, as they were during the Trump administration. There is no need to do so,” the tribal leader said.
“For the safety of the Oyate Nation, effective immediately, you are expelled from the Oglala Sioux Nation's homeland!”
According to the Associated Press, “Oyate” refers to a person or a nation.
Frank Starr Comes said cartels cannot be blamed for their actions, noting that drug and human trafficking is a bigger problem that is not limited to reservations.
Noem issued a press statement Saturday calling the tribal leaders' decision an “unfortunate” move to bring “politics” into the discussion. According to the newspaper, Noem called his speech to the joint session “the truth” and stressed that telling the facts “is not about blaming the tribe.” (Related: Exclusive: House Republican whip demands Mayorkas to explain how terrorists were released into the country after crossing the border)
“It's unfortunate that President Starr Comes has chosen to bring politics into the discussion about the impact of the federal government's failure to enforce federal laws on the southern border and on tribal lands. My focus remains on these issues. It's about working together to solve problems,” Noem said.
“In a speech to Congress earlier this week, I spoke the truth about the devastation that drug and human trafficking is inflicting on our country and our people. Mexican cartels are not only impacting our tribal reservations. It affects every community, from big cities to small towns. But our tribal reservations face the worst in South Dakota. To state this fact is in no way to blame the tribe. They are the victims here. They are the victims of cartel-led criminal activity and they are the victims of federal government inaction.”
Noem said she was “ready to work with” any of the state's Native American tribes to “build those relationships,” but tribe President Frank Starr will appear in court. Posted Online, the group said: “We must unite and continue the fight for equal rights.”
