South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s banishment from all nine tribal lands in her home state has narrowed by one.
The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, which is the smallest in the state, announced Wednesday that it has lifted its nearly eight-month ban imposed in the wake of her repeated claims that her state’s tribal leaders benefit from Mexican drug cartels.
The tribe said in a statement that its view of the Republican governor’s comments has changed and that it welcomes “her nomination and eventual appointment as the Secretary for Homeland Security.”
Noem’s U.S. Senate confirmation hearing for the post in the Cabinet of President-elect Donald Trump was Friday.
“Over the past several months, we have been made aware of many circumstances relating to the comments made by the Governor; only to find out that these issues are real and pose a grave threat to the stability of our Nations and the health and well-being of all our people,” the tribe said.
Anthony Reider, president of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, also recognized Noem’s past apologies on the matter in a letter addressed to her and obtained by the Sioux Falls paper, the Argus Leader.
“In several meetings before and after the resolution was passed, you not only explained your position, but apologized if the comments offended the Tribe. You additionally sought advice on how to phrase such communications moving forward, which the tribe and I appreciated,” Reider said.
A tribal representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
It wasn’t clear on Friday whether any of the other eight tribes will also reverse course.
The state’s largest tribe, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, was the first to ban her in February, with its president accusing her of using “Indian people and reservations … as a basis to create a bogus border crisis” and to appease Trump. Noem at the time was rumored to be under consideration as Trump’s vice presidential running mate.
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Representatives of the Oglala Sioux Tribe also did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.