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- By Malavika Ramakrishnan
Native Vote 2024. This year marks 100 years since the passing of the Indian Citizenship Act which granted Native Americans the right to vote. 2024 is an important election year and the community is more than ready to cast its vote.
The Native American caucuses at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago were spaces of excitement, hope and determination. Excitement about the Harris-Walz ticket, hope for the community’s future and determination to ensure that Donald Trump is not reelected to the White House were the focal points.
It’s a powerful combination, and Native Americans are aware the Native vote could make the difference.
“It feels historical at this moment. I always say we are the first Americans and now we are not invisible,” said Carole Cadue-Blackwood, a member of the Kickapoo tribe and the only Native delegate from Kansas state as far as she knows.
Blackwood was breathless with joy and smiling as she stepped away from taking pictures with Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan who spoke at the second caucus on August 22. This convention is Blackwood’s second and she said there was more excitement now “more than ever before given the change in leadership.”
“I never thought I would live long enough to see a woman of color in the White House, and I don’t think I have another 50 years for this to happen.”
Trish Carter-Goodheart sees Biden stepping down from the race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as succession planning, which Goodheart said has been practiced by tribes for millennia. Goodheart’s husband Dayne was a delegate from Idaho. Trish Goodheart is a candidate for Idaho House of Representatives. They are both members of the Nez Perce tribe.
“It’s about leadership guiding their replacement and helping them in the new role because our leaders recognize that without this good guidance in the process the whole tribe suffers,” Carter-Goodheart said.
A lot of excitement is due in part to Kamala Harris choosing Tim Walz as her running mate. Walz is the governor of Minnesota and if elected, Flanagan will take his place as governor of Minnesota. Flanagan’s connection with Walz and the latter’s compassion for Native communities plays a significant role in this election.
“I feel good about our future and Peggy will ensure we have a brighter future for our children. I felt that Tim Walz saw us – I melted in my chair when he addressed us at the first caucus meeting,” Blackwood said. Walz made a surprise visit to Monday morning’s Native American Caucus meeting.
On the other hand, the idea of a second Trump term is “depressing” according to Julie Dye, a tribal citizen of the Pokagon Potawatomi tribe and one of the four Native delegates representing Michigan at the convention.
“I fear for not just the state and country but the world. Authoritarianism and dictatorship are not good for anybody in the world and we must do all the work to prevent a second Trump term,” Dye said.
At the caucuses and the convention, there was an emphasis on regaining tribal sovereignty and several speakers made clear that in this election, sovereignty and democracy were on the ballot.
Alysia Coriz, a citizen of the Santo Domingo Pueblo tribe in New Mexico, said Trump did not really understand what tribal sovereignty meant. Coriz is part of the New Mexico chapter of Native Vote which works to increase Native representation in elections and encourage voters to “get out and vote.”
Alysia Coriz (Santo Domingo Pueblo) was a New Mexico delegate,
“All of the great work that was done in the Obama administration was wiped clean. It hits home for us because he reduced the protected area of the Bears Ears Monument,” said Coriz.
Bears Ears is a national monument in Utah established by President Barack Obama in a December 2016 proclamation that recognized the “extraordinary archaeological and cultural record” and the site’s sacred meaning to Native American tribes. Just 11 months later, President Donald Trump reduced the protected area by 85%.
Moves like this one are what Native delegates are afraid of, should Trump win in November.
“With Joe Biden’s administration, we are working to rectify these situations. We’re doing a lot of good work and let’s not undo that,” Coriz said.
Verlon Jose, chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation in southern Arizona believes that Democratic policies have given Native Americans a seat at the table and have been favorable to the community.
“It’s a fact that they have given minorities and original people of the Americas a seat. They’ve opened that door with willingness just like we were. Just as our people have always been. We’ve always welcomed people too,” Jose said. “If Trump gets reelected, we will have to work with him, but it will be devastating.”
Native American delegates fear that a second Trump administration will see an erasure of Native culture and less investment in the community. The Biden-Harris administration has had a hard task of undoing damage from Trump’s presidency, and a Harris-Walz win would continue this work. Top issues in this election are protecting the environment and sacred sites, promoting education, child welfare and revitalizing languages and economic investment in the community.
“I know that the Harris-Walz leadership will enforce Native American curriculum taught in schools from history, language and culture and I know our children will see the revitalization of culture,” Blackwood said.
For Jose, protecting sacred areas is a high priority.
“Everything is sacred to us. I would not go into anyone’s place of worship and destroy it. So why is it okay for someone to come to ours? You want to know my holy place? It’s all around us.”
Jose also pointed out that challenges by right-wing organizations to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) "as we saw last year, was reminiscent of when Native children were taken away pre-ICWA."
Trish and Dayne said real investment in rural communities is needed.
“We need real investment in our rural communities; that means jobs, infrastructure, education system, saving our libraries, restoring forests and public lands, being energy sovereign, having access to your own tribal resources,” Trish said.
Trish and Dayne come from one of the staunchest red states in the country and know their task is going to be hard.
“Our impact is there even though we are in small numbers. A lot of Native Americans aren’t registered voters yet. Another challenge is voting booths are far away and many cannot afford to take a day off work to go vote,” Dayne said.
However, there is a general sense that the time is right, that a brighter future is on the way.
“Every time we left an event at the convention, there was so much energy. I believe people have been asking for this moment for a long time. The timing is right and the people must seize the opportunity,” Jose said. “It’s hard to go to sleep with all this excitement.”
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