Tribal officials allege malfeasance after Gov. Kristi Noem calls for audit

Oglala Sioux Tribal Council members rail on alleged misuse of funds

(Austin Goss/The Dakota Scout)

Gov. Kristi Noem’s call for an audit of federal money being spent in Indian Country has earned the support of one tribe that has had a strained relationship with the governor.

During a contentious four-hour meeting of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council this week, multiple council members invoked support for Noem, who earlier that day sent a letter to Biden Administration officials asking them to audit tribal finances.

Councilman Garfield Little Dog alleged during the meeting that the tribe’s housing authority had, over the course of several years, inappropriately used money from a nearly $14 million budget, devoting a majority of it to employee salaries and to purchasing trucks instead of housing. In addition, an $8 million loan from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program had not been returned.

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