In a unanimous vote, the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council recently banned Republican South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem from the tribe’s Pine Ridge Reservation until she rescinds her support for so-called “riot boosting” laws. The two measures, which took effect in March, allow the state to sue and/or fine organizations that encourage protesting against the Keystone XL and other pipelines. Tribal officials said the laws violate First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Two other Sioux tribes, the Cheyenne River and Yankton, have expressed solidarity with the Oglala Sioux, the largest tribe in South Dakota.
President Julian Bear Runner’s office sent a letter to Noem to inform her of the tribe’s decision. It read, “If you do not honor this directive, we will have no choice but to banish you.” Bear Runner and three other tribal chairmen also asked the state not to display their flags at the Capitol, saying the new laws “destroyed our trust” in the state government.
Noem’s spokeswoman responded the governor was surprised but will “maintain her efforts to build relationships with the tribes.” When Noem signed the measures, she said, “My pipeline bills make clear that we will not let rioters control our economic development.”
The Oglala Sioux operate the Prairie Wind Casino in Pine Ridge.
