Central ND News

Gov. Kelly Armstrong and members of his Cabinet met with leaders and members of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate at the Dakota Magic Casino convention center near Hankinson, North Dakota. The meeting is part of Armstrong’s plan to visit all five tribal nations in North Dakota during his first year as governor.

Armstrong thanked Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Chairman J. Garret Renville, the Tribal Council, tribal elders, and community members for hosting the event. He called on both tribal leaders and state agency representatives to work together on challenges facing their communities.

“Waiting for somebody to come in and save the day on any of this stuff means we’re going to wait a very long time,” Armstrong said in his opening remarks. “We can do it here, though, and we can figure out small ways to make big changes, and it starts with meetings like this.”

Renville emphasized the importance of direct engagement between governments. “Your presence here is important. When leaders come together across governments, we create opportunities not just to talk but to truly understand one another,” Renville said. “We may not always agree, and we shouldn’t expect to, but if we stop engaging, if we stop building the relationship, we risk repeating the mistakes of the past. Governor Armstrong, your visit showed you understand the importance of relationships.”

After opening statements from both leaders, participants formed small groups to discuss goals and challenges facing their communities. Armstrong also met separately with executive leadership from the tribe to address topics such as gaming operations, education initiatives, health care access, law enforcement jurisdiction issues, addiction recovery programs, corrections matters including barriers to re-entry for formerly incarcerated individuals, among other subjects.

The North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission is coordinating these visits as a way for the new administration to build stronger relationships with tribal nations across North Dakota. Last month Armstrong visited officials from Turtle Mountain.

The Lake Traverse Indian Reservation is home to the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and spans primarily northeastern South Dakota with a smaller portion extending into southeastern North Dakota.