The Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe (SWO) has joined four other South Dakota tribes in banning Governor Kristi Noem from their lands. This decision aligns the SWO with the Cheyenne River Sioux, Rosebud Sioux, Oglala Lakota Sioux, and Standing Rock Sioux tribes.
The ban was imposed due to actions and statements by Noem that the tribe considers harmful to tribal parents. Combined, these five tribes control 13,057 square miles of South Dakota land, which is equivalent to 16.93% of the state’s total area.
Additionally, there is a portion of North Dakota, approximately 1,228 square miles, that is also off-limits to Noem, including parts of the Standing Rock and Lake Traverse Reservations.