MITCHELL — Gov. Kristi Noem on Wednesday criticized Native parents and political leaders while saying she wants to help Native students succeed.
She signed two education bills at City Hall in Mitchell and then made the remarks at City Hall in Winner.
Chronic absenteeism among South Dakota Native American students in public schools increased from 31% to 54% from 2018 to 2023, the highest of all South Dakota student statistics. One third of Native American public school students do not graduate high school, 84% are not considered college or career ready, and only one third of Native American public school students take the ACT. Only 7% of According to the latest data From the state Department of Education.
Noem told Mitchell town hall attendees that she is “just as talented and doing just as good a job as some of the most struggling children in our state.”and 3 of the 5 poorest counties She said there's work to be done in the country, which sits on an area of tribal land in South Dakota.
“My next step is to do everything I can to get the tribe to join me in helping our kids be more successful,” Noem said. “Because they live with 80% to 90% unemployment. There's no hope for their children. They don't have a parent to show up and help them. Their tribal council. The council and the president are more focused on a political agenda than actually making someone's life look better.”
Noem claims tribal leaders are 'personally benefiting' from cartels
Earlier this year, tribal leaders and registered members of the tribe criticized Noem's comments about drugs on reservations in South Dakota. Speech to lawmakers about the U.S.-Mexico border. In her speech, Noem repeatedly cited the ravages of fentanyl and other drugs in his reservation communities, saying the drugs were coming from Mexican cartels.
On Wednesday afternoon, Noem expanded on those comments during Winner's town hall.
“There are some tribal leaders who I think personally benefit from the cartel being here. That's why they attack me every day,” she said.
Nomu to Congress: Prepare to take action against 'invasion' of southern border
South Dakota Searchlight contacted several Native American lawmakers and tribal leaders following Noem's town hall remarks, including some who criticized her border speech. No one had commented at the time of publication of this article. The Oglala Sioux Tribe banned Noem from the Pine Ridge Reservation after her border speech.
Lyle Miller Native American artist based in Mitchell The 20-year veteran of teaching art at Crow Creek Tribal Schools told Noem at Mitchell City Hall that the issues facing Native Americans have to do with “trying to secure an identity.” Many tribal communities have experienced intergenerational trauma due to colonization and policies that stripped Native Americans of their culture, language, and religion.
“There's a history between the U.S. government and the Lakota and other tribes here on the Northern Plains,” Miller said. “Those students have a hard time understanding American education, but they have a hard time understanding something that is less inclusive of who they are and who their identity is. ”
In 2018, the state established Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings, a standard for teaching South Dakota students about local Native American history and culture. But according to a 2021 study by the state Department of Education. less than half of teachers I taught the material.
State Department of Education Secretary Joe Graves told South Dakota Searchlight after the town hall that the state is working on a number of initiatives related to Native American student success. One is to increase competition in education by further supporting alternative education.
“We've seen very promising work coming out of Native American communities, particularly in the establishment of private and alternative schools that focus on language and culture,” Graves said. “So we want to support that in every way.”
Rapid City Area Schools had a Lakota Immersion program in 2021, but the program has been put on hold due to a struggle to find qualified teachers, media relations manager Bobby said. Schaffbauer said. The school district has members of his staff dedicated to implementing Oceti-Sakowin's essential understanding and other Native American education programs.
Bill would fund phonics training, call for higher teacher salaries
One of the bills Noem signed allocates $6 million for phonics literacy training for teachers to improve students' reading comprehension levels. The initiative became one of this year's legislative priorities after Noem announced it in her budget speech in December.
Another bill would require a statewide minimum teacher salary of $45,000 and require school districts to match 97 percent of annual increases in state education funding to increases in average teacher compensation. South Dakota ranks 49th in the nation for average teacher pay, so this law is intended to increase teacher pay in the state, thereby improving teacher recruitment and retention.
Sioux Falls Republican Rep. Tony Fenhuizen, one of the sponsors of the teacher pay bill, said at an event Wednesday that the legislation would allow teachers to “teach in the best way possible.”
“Research shows that the most important factor in effective education in schools is not equipment, spending, or class size, but having high-quality teachers in the classroom,” Fenhuizen said. “Well, if you want to hire quality teachers and keep them, you have to pay them.”
carbon pipeline debate
Aside from the education discussion, Noem fielded questions from the Mitchell audience, ranging from his potential selection as former President Donald Trump's running mate to his labor recruiting efforts and last week's signing of a series of pipeline bills. A wide range of things. These bills would add new legal protections to landowners affected by a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline in eastern South Dakota while maintaining a regulatory path forward for the project.
Parkston pastor Michael Boyle asked Noem why she didn't veto the pipeline bill. Noem said the bill was deemed constitutional after thorough debate and passed by lawmakers.
“I'm not Xi Jinping, I'm not a dictator, I'm not someone who says, 'You know what?' The constitution has nothing to do with it. I’m going to force my will on people,” Noem responded.
Noem told town hall attendees that if they had concerns about the pipeline bill, they could bring them to her or their legislators ahead of the next legislative session. The 2024 Congress ended last week, and the 2025 Congress begins in January.
Quantum Computing, Local Cybersecurity Bill
Earlier Wednesday, Noem visited Dakota State University in Madison and signed a bill that provides about $3 million in state funding to establish a Center for Quantum Information Science and Technology. The center will include multiple state universities conducting research in the developing field of quantum computing.
In a news release about this, Noem said she also signed a bill that provides $7 million to launch cybersecurity initiatives for cities and counties.
This amount is roughly equal to what South Dakota would have received from the federal government in past years if it had enrolled in a grant program aimed at strengthening local government cybersecurity. South Dakota is the only state in the nation not to participate in the program because Noem's administration said the proposal had too many conditions.
Noem also held a town hall meeting in Winner Wednesday afternoon and is scheduled to host a town hall at 9 a.m. Mountain Time Thursday at Common Grounds in Spearfish.
Joshua Haiar of South Dakota Searchlight contributed to this report.
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