Join WhatsApp Channel
Join Telegram ChannelA South Dakota Native American tribe lifted its ban on Republican Gov. Kristi Noem in a letter Wednesday, offering support for her nomination to be secretary of Homeland Security, Fox News Digital has learned.
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Chairman Tony Reider wrote a letter to Noem on Wednesday informing her that the tribe's executive committee had voted to “remove the banishment” imposed on Noem in May and congratulated her on her appointment to the from President-elect Trump's office.
The letter comes just days before Noem appears before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for her confirmation hearing.
“I congratulate you on your nomination by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security, and I hereby support your nomination. I wish you well in the Senate confirmation hearing on the 17th January 2025, and I believe your dedication to the safety and security of the United States will benefit us all,” Reider's letter said, according to a copy obtained by Fox News Digital.
GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH DAKOTA. NOEM BANNED FROM TRIBAL RESERVATION DUE TO REMARKS ON US SOUTHERN BORDER
Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota and President-elect Trump's nominee for secretary of Homeland Security, arrives for a meeting with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., not pictured, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC , December 11, 2024. . (Getty Images)
South Dakota's nine indigenous tribes banned Noem from their reservations last year after outrage over her suggestion that tribal leaders are profiting from cartels and the immigration crisis and her comments regarding the future of indigenous children. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe was the last tribe to ban it.
POWERFUL FIRE FIRE UNION THAT WAS NEUTRAL IN 2024 SUPPORTS NOEM FOR DHS AS CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES RAGE
“Their children have no hope. They don't have parents who come to help them. They have a tribal council or a president who is focused on a political agenda more than they care about actually helping the lives of someone to be better.” Noem said last year in a comment that drew criticism from tribes.
Reider addressed the issue in his letter to Noem on Wednesday, explaining that the governor apologized for his previous remarks and explained his comment.
'NO TIME TO PLAY': SENATE MUST QUICKLY CONFIRM NOEM AS DHS CHIEF IN WAKE OF TERROR ATTACK, LOUISIANA GOVERNMENT SAYS
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks before Republican presidential candidate former President Trump takes the stage at a Buckeye Values PAC rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on April 16 March 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
“One of the stipulations in the banning resolution was that you apologize for comments that were made regarding tribe members and the raising of tribe members' children, which were deemed offensive by some. 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 also asked for advice on how to word it. such communications going forward, which the tribe and I appreciated,” Reider wrote.
Tribes blast South Dakota governor's claim their leaders profit from drug cartels
Badlands National Park in South Dakota (Bernie Friel/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The letter comes as Noem prepares for her Senate confirmation hearing Friday morning.
Trump announced Noem as his choice to lead DHS shortly after his decisive victory over Kamala Harris, citing the Republican governor's efforts to secure the southern border, which has been overwhelmed by illegal crossings under the Biden administration.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In the months since her nomination, Noem has won the support of at least eight police groups or unions, including a union that represents thousands of Border Patrol agents.
Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry also called on Senate lawmakers, including Democrats, to quickly confirm Noem after the terrorist attack that rocked New Orleans on New Year's Day.
The International Association of Firefighters, a large, historically Democratic firefighters' union, also recently endorsed Noem, saying that during the raging wildfires in Los Angeles, she “understands emergency management and the importance of the government's response to natural and man-made emergencies.