Native tribe lifts ban on NOM before Senate confirmation hearings begin

A Native American tribe in South Dakota endorsed Republican Gov. Kristi Nom in a letter Wednesday, endorsing her nomination to serve as Homeland Security secretary, Fox News Digital has learned.

Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe President Tony Ryder wrote to Nome on Wednesday saying the tribe’s executive committee voted to “lift the ban” on Nome in May and congratulated her on her selection to serve in President-elect Trump’s cabinet.

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

“I thank you for your nomination by President Donald Trump to be Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and I hereby support your nomination. I wish you the best of luck during your Senate confirmation hearing on January 17, 2025 and believe that your commitment to the safety and security of the United States will benefit us all,” Reid’s letter said, a copy obtained by Fox News Digital.

SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. NoM was banned from the tribal reservation due to comments made on the southern border.

All nine Native tribal leaders in South Dakota suspended Noem last year over her views on the issue of cartels and the immigration crisis and the future of Native children. The Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe was the last tribe to block her.

In the year In 2024, the aggressive fire union that was neutral, NOM will respond to DHS as California wildfires rage.

“The kids have no hope. They don’t have parents to come out and help them. They have a tribal council or a president who is more concerned with making someone’s life look better than they are with a political agenda.” Noem spoke out in a comment that drew criticism from the tribe last year.

In a letter to NOM on Wednesday, Reider said the governor apologized for her earlier comments and clarified her comments.

‘No time to play’: Senate must quickly confirm NOM as DHS responsibilities following terror attacks, Louisiana Gov.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks before Republican presidential candidate former President Trump takes the stage at the Buckeye Values ​​PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, March 16, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

“One of the clauses in the ban decision is asking you to apologize for comments made about tribal members and the education of tribal children, which is offensive to some. In several meetings before and after the decision was made, you did not apologize. You only explained your position, but the comments You’ve apologized if it offended the clan, asked for advice on how to move forward with such relationships; Which the tribe and I appreciate.

South Dakota’s governor says tribal leaders are taking advantage of drug cartels.

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 his pick to lead DHS shortly after his decisive victory over Kamala Harris, citing the Republican governor’s efforts to secure the southern border, plagued by illegal crossings under the Biden administration.

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

Republican Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry In the wake of the terrorist attack that rocked New Orleans on New Year’s Day, Senate lawmakers, particularly Democrats, have called for swift confirmation of NOM.

The International Association of Fire Fighters, a large, historically democratic firefighter association, also recently endorsed NOM, arguing that she “understood the importance of emergency management and government response to emergencies, both natural and man-made” during the Los Angeles wildfires.