A Better Kind of Tribalism

Opinion

In recent years, the term “tribalism” has been used to describe American partisan politics and allegiance to a political party. The term draws on the idea of people belonging to groups that tend to protect insiders and dislike outsiders.

When used in the context of partisan politics, the term should not be confused with Indigenous tribes. In this context, it is a metaphor. 

This past week, we saw partisan tribalism reach a low point in modern American politics when Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign produced an ad featuring Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Dr. Amy Acton. In the ad, Arthur calls her daughter a liar.

In the ad, Arthur contends that her daughter has lied throughout her life and urges Ohio voters not to vote for Acton. Arthur disputes public statements in which Acton has discussed being homeless and living in a tent during the winter. Her mother says it never happened. Acton’s brother says it did.

The larger issue, however, is that Acton has said Arthur’s husband, her stepfather, sexually abused her beginning when she was nine and continuing until she was removed from the family home at age 12.

In 1978, Acton’s stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was arrested and charged with raping Acton, then 12, according to police and court records reviewed by The Associated Press.  He pleaded not guilty, never stood trial.  He left Ohio before trial, and Donna Arthur remained married to him until his death.  Acton has said she last saw her mother at the courthouse in 1978. 

While her stepfather was never brought to trial, legal documents substantiate aspects of Acton’s story. Her stepfather died in 2004 without ever facing trial.

Despite her harsh childhood, Dr. Acton became a physician. In 2019, she became director of the Ohio Department of Health, a position she held when the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the country. She worked closely with Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to develop Ohio’s response to the pandemic. She left her post in June 2020 and remained DeWine’s chief health adviser until that August. She is now the Democratic candidate for governor.

Sticking with his “tribe” — the Republican Party — DeWine endorsed Ramaswamy for governor. After the ad ran last week, DeWine quickly condemned it, saying he had always known Acton to be truthful. He asked Ramaswamy to take the ad down. Rather than pull the ad, Ramaswamy said his campaign would spend another $4 million airing it.

Despite condemning the ad and Ramaswamy’s refusal to remove it, DeWine has not withdrawn his endorsement of the Republican candidate. Apparently, party loyalty is too strong in American politics.

An ad that exploits a woman’s account of childhood rape while omitting that her mother remained married to the man charged with raping her own child is despicable.

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance both defended the ad. Trump described it as “hitting pay dirt” in a Truth Social post, arguing that it was effective because the press was criticizing it.

The press has every right to criticize the ad.

Americans also need to move beyond choosing a political party and remaining loyal to it simply because it is a family tradition or because they feel comfortable with their “tribe.”

During these midterm elections, we need to vote for what is right, rather than just out of party loyalty. 

For Native Americans, our tribal interests are what matter. In past polling conducted by Native News Online, our readers have told us they vote for candidates who support tribal sovereignty, water rights, environmental issues and health care.

In the past two budgets submitted by President Trump to Congress for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, his administration proposed substantial cuts to tribal housing, education, government programs and economic development, while proposing increases for some Indian Health Service programs.

Fortunately, Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma chairs the House Appropriations Committee. A citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, Cole has supported funding for tribal programs that help fulfill the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to tribal nations.  

Cole put the needs of tribal communities ahead of his party’s budget priorities. If that is tribalism, it’s the kind rooted in responsibility to our people, not loyalty to a political party. 

When you vote in the midterm elections, look beyond party loyalty. Vote for what is right and what serves your tribal community’s needs.

Thayék gde nwéndëmen – we are all related.