Governor Larry Rhoden’s Weekly Column – The Dakotas: North and South

The Dakotas: North and South
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
April 12, 2025

We have a friendly rivalry with our neighbors to the north in North Dakota. I’ve joked many times that I’d much rather have Mount Rushmore than oil – and we all know that South Dakota’s Badlands are far more stunning! But we’re a lot more similar to North Dakota than probably any other state in the Union.

My predecessor, Governor Noem, had a strong relationship with Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota. In fact, as the new Secretary of the Interior, Burgum is helping us get ready for the upcoming Mount Rushmore Fireworks over Independence Day in 2026! His successor, Governor Kelly Armstrong, is new to the role like me.

Governor Armstrong and I recently had the opportunity to share something pretty special: we visited the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe together. Standing Rock is one of two tribes with land on both sides of the South Dakota-North Dakota border. It was the first time in a decade that both governors have been on that reservation simultaneously.

We visited Chairwoman Janet Alkire and their tribal council leaders. We discussed several key topics affecting the tribe, including education, economic development, water permits, and the latest on federal funding.

After the great conversation, we took a driving tour of the reservation and stopped by a local school. I met with several bright students and faculty members and saw the kids hard at work, learning to shape their futures!

We are at our strongest when we work together. At times, mutual trust with our Native American tribes has been tough to maintain. We are all neighbors, so part of keeping South Dakota strong, safe, and free means doing the same for our Native American people. I will continue to work hard to be a governor for all South Dakotans.

We may have friendly rivalries – or even legitimate debates or disagreements. I am committed to listening so that I can understand the concerns that our communities face. That goes for small towns, big cities, tribal reservations, and communities on both sides of the Missouri River.

I’ll say it again: we are strongest when we work together. I look forward to working with both our North Dakota neighbors and all nine South Dakota tribes to keep our communities strong, safe, and free.

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