South Dakota
Gov. Kristi Noem now banned from all South Dakota tribal lands
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is now banished from an even bigger chunk of her state after all nine tribes have banned her.
The dog-shooting Republican was banished Tuesday by the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, the final tribe to take such action over her comments accusing Native Americans of being in league with Mexican cartels and of neglecting their children’s education, the Argus Leader reported.
Noem — who until recently had been tipped to be former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate — was already banished from around 20% of her state even before the final three of the nine tribes took action.
The final decision came after Flandreau leadership had a “respectful and productive” meeting with Noem on Sunday, the Argus Leader added.
Tyler Rambeau, the executive administrative assistant of the FSST Homeowners Assistance Fund, told the outlet that the leadership had faced pressure from the community to ban Noem.
“We need to stand in solidarity with our fellow tribes in South Dakota, the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ. We do not want to come up on the wrong side of history in this moment,” he said.
The tribe’s formal announcement included a statement from Noem, who insisted “It was never [her] intent to cause offense by speaking truth to the real challenges that are being faced in some areas of Indian country.
“I want to focus on solutions that lead to safer communities for all our families, better educational outcomes for all our children and declining addiction numbers for all of our people,” she added.
“It is my hope that the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe will give us the opportunity to partner together in a way that can be an example for all.”
Of the nine tribal governments in South Dakota only one – the Yankton Sioux Tribe – has not adopted a formal measure banning Noem from their land.
However, the Yankton tribe’s Business and Claims Committee voted unanimously to support the governor’s punishment on May 10, the Argus Leader said.
The major rift between Noem and the tribal governments started on Jan. 31, when she gave an 18-minute speech during an emergency joint session that accused the tribes of aiding the Mexican drug cartels.
“The cartels are using our reservations to facilitate the spread of drugs throughout the Midwest,” Noem insisted.
Noem doubled down in March, when she suggested – despite a lack of evidence – that tribal leaders were “personally benefiting” from the cartels.
The comments lead to a ripple effect of tribes voting to bar the governor from their lands in the state.
The Yankton Sioux Tribe and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe held votes earlier in May, while the Standing Rock Sioux, Crow Creek Sioux, Rosebud, Cheyenne River Sioux, Oglala Sioux and Lower Brule Sioux tribes all passed similar measures earlier in the year, CNN reported.
By mid-May, Noem was banned from 20 percent of the state she governed.
“Banishing me does nothing to solve this problem or to help those who are suffering horrific tragedies,” Noem said last week.
“Yesterday, I returned home from the dangerous, deadly warzone at our nation’s Southern Border. South Dakota National Guard soldiers have helped the Texas National Guard construct miles of border wall in 100-degree weather to keep the American people safe – and keep cartel-driven drugs and human trafficking out of our great country.”
Noem’s office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The decimation of Noem’s relationship with the South Dakota tribes came as she faced backlash for writing about killing a young hunting dog in her new book.
Noem’s tome also described a supposed sit-down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un – though she has now asked her publisher to pull the anecdote from the book.
The slew of bad press probably tainted Noem’s chances of being Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s VP pick, political observer Cal Jillson said earlier this month.
“I think that the chaos that Trump revels in is the chaos he creates. Chaos created by somebody else simply detracts attention from himself,” Jillson opined.
With Post wires
South Dakota
Republican businessman Toby Doeden advances to primary runoff in South Dakota governor’s race
Republican businessman Toby Doeden has advanced to a runoff in South Dakota governor’s race, NBC News projects.
Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced Kristi Noem last year when President Donald Trump nominated her to lead the Department of Homeland Security, was battling with Rep. Dusty Johnson and former state House Speaker Jon Hansen for a second spot in the July 28 runoff. The primary will go to a runoff because no candidate eclipsed 35% of the vote.
Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race. Doeden branded himself on his campaign website as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.”
Rhoden, a former lieutenant governor, agriculture secretary and lawmaker, campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a four-year term.
Johnson is the state’s lone representative in the House, where he previously was chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus. Hansen, who was elected to the South Dakota House in 2010, held several leadership positions before he became speaker.
The Republican nominee will be the favorite to win the general election in the solidly red state this fall. A Democrat has not served as governor in South Dakota since the 1970s, and Trump carried the state by 29 points in 2024.
South Dakota
Agronomist: eastern South Dakota crops hit and miss – Brownfield Ag News
News
Agronomist: eastern South Dakota crops hit and miss
An agronomist in eastern South Dakota says corn and soybeans are hit and miss as the growing season begins.
Steven Zemlicka with AgTegra Cooperative tells Brownfield, “We’ve got corn anywhere from V1 all the way up to V4. Biggest stuff’s maybe touching V5. Corn’s coming right along, looks pretty good. A little bit of hail here too, but I don’t think it’s going to be much of an issue. Stands for the most part are pretty good, pretty solid.”
Zemlicka says soybean emergence has been slow due to the wet, cool conditions, and there are a few fields that still need planted.
“People were still working on planting soybeans when we got the recent rain.”
He says recent rain totals ranged from a half inch to as much as four inches in the northeast part of South Dakota; the southern part of the state has been drier.
South Dakota’s corn is rated 61 percent good to excellent, with soybean conditions rated 57 percent good to excellent, according to USDA’s first condition ratings of the season.
South Dakota
South Dakota Community Foundation encourages nonprofits to apply for funding
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The South Dakota Community Foundation is encouraging nonprofits to apply for funding this June.
Beth Massa and Ginger Niemann joined us live with what you need to know before applying.
Watch the full interview above.
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