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- By Neely Bardwell
On Monday, former President Donald Trump chose Ohio U.S. Senator J.D. Vance to be his running mate on the Republican ticket. Now, leaders throughout Indian Country are discussing Vance’s anti-Indigenous perspectives.
In a social media post on October 11, 2021, James David "J.D." Vance chastised Democrat Joe Biden for being the first president of the United States to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day. “‘Indigenous Peoples Day is a fake holiday created to sow division,’"Vance wrote. He was seeking the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat in Ohio at the time.
Now in the national spotlight as Trump’s running mate, Natives are taking a second look at Vance’s anti-Indigenous statements.
Clara Pratte (Navajo), chair of the DNC Native Caucus, pushed back on Vance’s comment about Indigenous Peoples’ Day being a fake holiday.
“Indigenous Peoples’ Day is not a ‘fake holiday created to sow division,’ it’s a celebration of tribal nations as well as our relatives from the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders communities. It recognizes our countless contributions to our country and the resilience of our ancestors,” said Pratte in a statement to Native News. J.D.Vance, just like Donald Trump, is someone who actively tries to sow division in this country. He wants to pull this nation, including tribal issues, backward, and is a threat to our nation's democracy and the progress that we have made under the Biden-Harris administration.”
The Urban Native Collective (UNC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting Indigenous Peoples through advocacy, authentic representation, and community support, released a statement about Vance’s history.
“Mr. Vance’s previous statements, which denounce the official acknowledgment of Indigenous Peoples and celebrate figures such as Christopher Columbus, who played a role in the genocide of Native peoples, are concerning to our community. These remarks undermine the inherent rights and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and perpetuate harmful historical inaccuracies.”
The UNC emphasized that every individual and leader should respect and acknowledge the truth of Indigenous histories and the ongoing struggles of our communities.
Former Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer, a strong supporter of Trump being elected in November, talked with Native News Online at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday. He said he has never met J.D.Vance, but thinks he is wrong on his opinion of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
“When I was vice president, I celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day by putting on my regalia to attend events. If I have a chance, I would tell J.D> he is wrong on this and question him about his stance on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and how it can benefit all including Native Americans,” Lizer said.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Ojibwe) is concerned about how Vance’s views on Indigenous policies will impact Indigenous progress on a national level. and past comments.
“J.D. Vance has a long record of anti-Indigenous policies and rhetoric. Representation matters, and Vance has demonstrated that neither representation nor Indigenous people will have a voice at his table,” Flanagan said in a statement sent to Native News Online on Wednesday. “There is no doubt in my mind that if he is elected Vice President, our country will go backwards, not forwards.
Vance’s anti-Indigenous perspectives did not stop at social media. The first bill he introduced as a member of the Senate was the English Language Unity Act. This would establish English as the “official language” of the U.S.. This, despite the existence of Native languages spoken among more than 500 sovereign tribal nations.
Vance also wanted to override tribal sovereignty without consent with the Freedom to Breathe Act. This came after tribes were enforcing their own mask mandates and other COVID-19 aware policies. The bill bars tribes, whose peoples have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, from enacting their own mask mandate laws in schools and in public transit on their lands.
He also introduced the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, which wants to stop all healthcare facilities in Indian Country from providing gender affirming treatment and services to young people. There is no differentiation made even when a tribe or tribal organization provides such services at facilities that do not receive federal funds.
In addition to his anti-Indigenous rhetoric, Flanagan believes Native Americans should be concerned about Vance’s past statements about women.
“I am also equally deeply concerned about Vance’s beliefs that women should stay in abusive relationships,” Flanagan said. “When Native women experience violence at 2.5 times more than any other population, it is shameful that Vance would encourage women to endure physical and mental abuse.The rights of Indigenous women are on the ballot this year more than ever before and we have the opportunity to defend them at the ballot box in November.”
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