A Native American tribe in South Dakota that previously banished from their land the state’s governor, Kristi Noem, is shifting its tune on the Republican lawmaker ahead of her confirmation hearing for the position of Homeland Security secretary. 

The president of the Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe, Anthony Reider, extended the olive branch to Ms. Noem on Tuesday, announcing in a letter that the tribe’s leaders had voted to “remove the banishment” that it placed on her in May of 2024. Mr. Reider also endorsed Ms. Noem’s nomination, noting in the letter that her “dedication for the safety and security of the United States will benefit us all.” 

The South Dakota governor remains banished by the state’s eight other Native American tribes, however. Ms. Noem fell out of favor with the indigenous communities over comments that she made in the spring of last year. Ms. Noem, while complaining about an “invasion” of illegal migrants at the southern border before Congress, suggested that the tribes’ leaders were “personally benefiting” from Mexican cartels that set up shop in reservations in South Dakota. 

She also drew ire for suggesting, during a town hall in March, that Native American children “don’t have any hope” because they “don’t have parents who show up and help them” and are led by a tribal council or president “who focuses on a political agenda more than they care about actually helping somebody’s life look better.” 

The Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe, which was the last in the state to ban the governor, announced its decision in May, condemning Ms. Noem for making “blanket statements that offend the tribes” and calling on her to “issue an apology to all tribal nations for the misunderstanding.” Until then, the statement read, the tribe would “stand with our fellow nations” in banning the governor from entering their land. 

State governors have limited jurisdiction over Native American reservations and most legal authority lies within each tribe’s internal leadership. In South Dakota, the nine tribes cover more than 20 percent of the state and boast their own law enforcement. Some of the tribes suggested that they would charge Ms. Noem with trespassing if she attempted to enter their land. Even so, in the months after her banishment, the governor continued to stand by her comments and brushed off the bans as “political attacks.” 

According to Mr. Reider’s letter, however, Ms. Noem has since fulfilled that stipulation by apologizing for her statements. “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 additionally sought advice on how to phrase such communications moving forward, which the tribe and I appreciated,” he wrote. 

Ms. Noem’s frosty relationship with her state’s Native population can be traced all the way back to her first year in office. The governor was banned by the Oglala Sioux back in 2019 after she signed anti-riot legislation that sought to disrupt public protest over the Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline was proposed to transport oil to America from Canada but faced fierce opposition from Native American tribes in the Dakotas who argued that the development would sully key land and water sources. 

Although the legislation was later blocked, the tribe expressed its displeasure with her support for the pipeline and noted that its members were “particularly offended” that Ms. Noem signed the legislation without consulting the tribes.