South Dakota Governor Noem Banished From Tribal Reservation Over Comments On Border Crisis
One AmericaJan 22
South Dakota Tribe Bans Governor From Reservation
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The Facts
South Dakota's Oglala Sioux Tribe has banned Gov. Kristi Noem (R) from the Pine Ridge Reservation, located in the state's southwestern corner, for her comments about curbing immigration at the US-Mexico border.
Frank Star Comes Out, the tribe's president, on Friday accused Noem of "blatantly disrespect[ing]" one of the most sacred ceremonies of his people — the Ghost Dance — when she blamed an alleged cartel-affiliated gang called the Ghost Dancers for killing people on the Reservation.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Noem has used the plight of the Oglala Sioux Tribe as a political weapon to increase her standing on the national stage, as she tries to appeal to the MAGA base with her harsh rhetoric on the border to pit some Red States against the federal government. Additionally, and foremost, her claim that there's a local gang called the Ghost Dancers in Pine Ridge is nothing but an insult to the tribe's traditions.
Republican narrative
Though the Oglala Sioux Tribe may claim that they are neither a Democrat nor Republican tribe, the political nature of the ban against a potential GOP vice president candidate is evident. Ironically, the tribe has decided to bar a woman from entering their territory due to safety concerns in response to her calls for the US to secure its border to protect Americans.