The Daily Beast reports:
The head of a Native American tribe is demanding that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem apologize for her “malicious and defamatory” allegation that tribal leaders are in cahoots with drug cartels.
“Her remarks were made from ignorance and with the intention to fuel a racially based and discriminatory narrative towards the Native people of South Dakota,” Rosebud Sioux Tribe President Scott Herman told The Daily Beast.
Noem’s remarks at a town hall meeting Wednesday have further damaged her relationship with the state’s tribes—one of which had already banned her from its reservation after similar insinuations.
The South Dakota Seachlight reports:
Gov. Kristi Noem leveled accusations against Native American parents and political leaders Wednesday while saying she wants to help Native American students succeed.
She made the comments during a town hall meeting in Mitchell, where she signed two education bills into law, and at a later town hall in Winner.
“We’ve got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefitting from the cartels being here, and that’s why they attack me every day,” she said.
In public comments, Gov. #KristiNoem criticized Native American tribes: “Their kids don’t have any hope. They don’t have parents who show up and help them.” And, “We’ve got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefitting from the cartels …”https://t.co/l3rrjoNINx
— South Dakota Searchlight (@SDSearchlight) March 13, 2024
Rosebud Sioux President Scott Herman says Kristi Noem’s remarks “were made from ignorance and with the intention to fuel a racially based and discriminatory narrative towards the Native people of South Dakota.” https://t.co/yOBri4uu63
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) March 16, 2024