Native tribe lifts Noem’s ban ahead of Senate confirmation hearing

A South Dakota Indian tribe lifted its ban on Republican Gov. Kristi Noem and endorsed her nomination as Homeland Security secretary in a letter Wednesday, Fox News Digital has learned.

Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe President Tony Reider wrote a letter to Noem on Wednesday informing her that the tribe’s executive committee had voted to “lift the banishment” it imposed on Noem in May, and congratulated her on her nomination to President-elect Trump’s Cabinet.

The letter comes just days before Noem is scheduled to appear for her confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

“I congratulate you on your nomination by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and I hereby support your nomination. “I wish you the best of luck at your Senate confirmation hearing on January 17, 2025 and am confident that your commitment to the security of the United States will benefit us all,” Reider’s letter said, according to a copy obtained Fox News Digital received.

Governor of South Dakota. Noem banned from tribal reservation for comments at 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 Senator Rick Scott, R-Florida, (not pictured) on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on December 11, 2024 . (Getty Images)

All nine Native American tribes in South Dakota banned Noem from their reservations last year following outrage over her claims that tribal leaders were profiting from cartels and the immigration crisis, as well as comments about the future of Native children. The Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe was the last tribe to ban them.

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“Your children have no hope. They don’t have parents to show up and help them. “You have a tribal council or a president who is more focused on a political agenda than on actually helping someone make life better,” Noem said last year in comments that drew criticism from tribes.

Reider addressed the issue in his letter to Noem Wednesday, saying the governor apologized for her previous comments and explained her comment.

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South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks before former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, takes the stage during a Buckeye Values ​​PAC rally in Vandalia, Ohio, March 16, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

“One of the provisions contained in the banishment resolution was that you apologize for comments made regarding tribal members and the education of tribal members’ children that were found offensive by some. In several meetings before and after the resolution was passed, you did not merely explain your position but apologized if the comments offended the tribe. They also sought advice on how such communications should be worded in the future, which the tribe and I greatly appreciated,” Reider wrote.

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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 on 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.

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In the months since her nomination, Noem has received support from at least eight police groups or unions, including a union representing thousands of Border Patrol agents.

Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry also urged Senate lawmakers, particularly Democrats, to quickly confirm Noem following a terrorist attack that rocked New Orleans on New Year’s Day.

The International Association of Fire Fighters, a large, historically Democratic firefighters union, also recently endorsed Noem, arguing that she “understands emergency management and the importance of the government’s response to natural and man-made emergencies” during the raging wildfires in Los Angeles.