PIERRE, SD (KELO.com) — Governor Kristi Noem says she stands by her comments that the state’s tribal council members are benefiting from the presence of cartels on their reservations. That follows action by the Cheyenne River Tribal Council to ban her from its reservation – the second tribe to do so. The Oglala Sioux Tribe banned her from the Pine Ridge Reservation in February. Both tribes say the bans were issued in response to negative, derogatory remarks the Governor has made concerning Tribal leaders and Mexican Cartels.
The Governor called yesterday for the tribes to banish the cartels from tribal lands. She says the move would reduce crime problems on the reservations. Despite the dispute, Governor Noem says she’s still willing to work with tribal leaders. Her office released a copy of a letter she sent to Oglala Sioux Tribal President Frank Star Comes Out in which she expresses that willingness. The letter also details issues like a lack of transparency on tribal finances, the need for an audit, and concerns about how large sums of money have been spent on salaries rather than for the purposes they were intended. A link to that letter is below.
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