PIERRE, S.D. – On May 28th, Governor Kristi Noem announced that she will be hosting a Tribal Public Safety Crisis Summit in Pierre on Monday, June 24. Governor Noem is inviting both elected leaders and law enforcement officials at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels. She announced the Summit in a video.

“We solve problems best when we work together and communicate – I hope that this Summit will accomplish that,” said Governor Noem. “Drug addiction, violent crime, and the trafficking of women and children have all risen on tribal reservations throughout the country, including in South Dakota. Drug cartels and their affiliates are causing many of these challenges. We all want what’s best for our tribal communities, and I hope this conversation can get the ball rolling towards real solutions.”

Invites will be sent to the following leaders on May 28, 2024:

- Tribal leaders, including the presidents and chairmen of all nine of South Dakota’s Native American tribes;

- The heads of the law enforcement agencies for each of the nine tribes;

- Sheriffs from counties that include reservation land;

- Senator John Thune, Senator Mike Rounds, and Representative Dusty Johnson;

- Attorney General Marty Jackley;

- Division of Criminal Investigation Director Dan Satterlee;

- U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota Alison J. Ramsdell;

- Secretary of Tribal Relations David Flute;

- Secretary of Public Safety Bob Perry;

- Tribal Law Enforcement Liaison Algin Young;

- Representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Department of Justice; and

- Other public safety and law enforcement leaders.

You can find one of the invitations here.

Since calling attention to the public safety issues on tribal reservations as a result of the Biden Administration’s failures at the Southern Border, Governor Noem has taken several steps to propose solutions and restore safety to these communities. She has urged the Biden Administration to adequately fund tribal law enforcement and has pushed for comprehensive, transparent, and public audits to determine what that need is. She has launched a tribal-focused law enforcement training course in partnership with Attorney General Marty Jackley. She has repeatedly urged all nine Native American tribes to join in Mutual Aid Agreements with the State of South Dakota. And she remains open to any additional solutions that others might propose to address these serious challenges.