Kristi Noem criticized over Native American comments
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was recently criticized over her comments surrounding the state’s Native American community. On her personal Twitter account, Noem claimed that a South Dakota initiative had boosted tourism for its Native American community. While this was displayed as a positive act, it also drew criticism from those who accused Noem of double standards. Previously, she has clashed with local tribes over a number of different issues.
Here, Noem wrote: ‘@SouthDakota’s Tribal Tourism initiative boosts tribal economies and educates travelers of our state’s rich Native American history. We will continue to build on this first year’s success for the future.’
This comment gained quite a lot of backlash from her constituents, with one user named Joel Kaskinen writing: “Says the one who literally hates our Native American neighbors and communities. Your actions speak for themselves and your messages on social media are empty promises. We see you for the fake that you are.”
A similar theme followed throughout the replies section, which prompted a total of 66 replies. Here, another user added: “I thought you turned your back on the tribes multiple times already. It’s not an election year Kristi, why are you pretending now?” These were just two of the many comments. However, it’s fair to say that her initial statement didn’t go down particularly well.
