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, D.C., Dec. 11, 2024. (Getty Images)
All nine native tribes in South Dakota banned Noem from their reservations last year after outrage over her suggestion that tribal leaders benefit from cartels and the immigration crisis and comments regarding native children's futures. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe was the last tribe to ban her.
POWERFUL FIRE UNION THAT WAS NEUTRAL IN 2024 BACKS NOEM FOR DHS AS CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES RAGE
"Their kids don’t have any hope. They don’t have parents who show up and help them. They have a tribal council or a president who focuses on a political agenda more than they care about actually helping somebody’s life look better," Noem said last year in a comment that drew criticism from tribes.
Reider addressed the issue in his letter to Noem Wednesday, explaining that the governor has apologized for her previous remarks and explained her commentary.
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 pick to lead DHS shortly after his decisive win 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 picked up endorsements from at least eight police groups or unions, including a union that represents thousands of Border Patrol agents.
Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry also called on Senate lawmakers, most notably Democrats, to swiftly confirm Noem after a terrorist attack that shook New Orleans on New Year's Day.
The International Association of Fire Fighters, a large, historically Democratic firefighter union, also recently endorsed Noem, arguing during the raging wildfires in Los Angeles she "understands emergency management and the importance of government response to emergencies both natural and man-made."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/native-tribe-lifts-banishment-noem-ahead-senate-confirmation-hearing