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- By Levi Rickert
Opinion. Native Vote 2024.The choice for president in 2024 is quite stark this election cycle.
Former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican nominee, is running to “make America great again,” without telling voters when that time was. Perhaps, it was a time when millions of Black were slaves or maybe when America practiced genocide on the Indigenous people. Are they longing for the time the federal government stole Native children from their familial homes and took them to Indian boarding schools where the students were subjected to horrific physical, emotional, and sexual abuses?
Or, maybe it was the “Leave it to Beaver” era when the doting wife, June Cleaver, met her husband, Ward, at the door when he arrived home from the office wearing a pearl necklace. Maybe people forget, it was fiction written by Hollywood writers.
There is no clarity about when America was great.
It certainly wasn’t four years ago during the Trump presidency when he proved he was a major failure as a crisis manager. He repeatedly told the American public that the Covid-19 pandemic would go away by itself. It didn’t and over one-million Americans died because of his total ineptness. The makings of the high inflation that the Biden administration inherited had already kicked in during the Trump administration when there was a shift in the labor force and corporations gouged the American public and reaped historic profits.
So, I really don’t know when the “Make America Great Again” crowd longs for.
I personally subscribe to the idea that borrows from the Preamble of the United States Constitution that begins: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union…” that suggests America is a work in progress.
The Democratic nominee understands this. A frequent chant at her rallies has been “We’re Not Going Back!” During her campaign, Vice President Harris has pledged to be “a President for all Americans” and promises to “build a brighter future for our nation.”
This message is an extension of her closing argument speech on the Ellipse and stands in stark contrast with what voters have seen from Trump during his campaign.
The mainstream media seems to have two sets of qualifiers for the presidency this year. For Trump, he gets a lot of free passes. In contrast, Harris is consistently questioned about her policies.
Last week in Kalamazoo, when former first lady Michelle Obama made a point that the media claims Harris has set forth her policies, a woman in the audience yelled out: “They can go to her website.” Americans should because for a candidate who has only been a candidate since late July, there is a lot there at her official website to absorb.”
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Executive Director has said repeatedly this election year that Native Americans should not think in terms of partisan politics, but should vote for the tribal sovereignty ticket.
This year presents a unique opportunity for Native Americans because the records of both candidates are there for our examination.
During the Trump administration, the doors of access were closed to tribes. He unleashed an era where Native people endured a constant assault on our spiritual health and wellness. Trump failed to reconvene the White House Tribal Nations Summit, an annual meeting hat provides the administration and tribal leaders with time to discuss ways to strengthen nation-to-nation relationships through federal investment and ensure progress for Indian Country.
In addition to that failure, meaningful Tribal consultation was nearly nonexistent, and without these vital meetings, detrimental projects were approved near our tribal communities. For example, Trump immediately reduced the Bears Ears National Monument, home to thousands of sacred sites, by 85 percent, and his administration approved the advancement of the border wall that led to the destruction of Tohono O’odham Nation’s cultural and burial sites.
Trump drained funds from the very programs created to fulfill the federal government’s trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribes. Year after year, tribal leaders had to fight against his proposals to cut funding for Native education and health programs. Trump even submitted budget requests to Congress every year that could have zeroed out funding for the Bureau of Indian Education.
On the other hand, Harris has been a staunch supporter of Indian Country during the Biden-Harris administration.
In July 2023, the Vice President made history by visiting the Gila River Indian Community, becoming the first sitting President or Vice President to do so. During her visit, she emphasized the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to Tribal Nations and Native communities.
In November 2022, at the White House Tribal Nations Summit, the Vice President discussed the Administration's collaboration with Tribal leaders to enhance tribal relations.
Harris has also been involved with:
Maternal Health: Native women face more than twice the risk of pregnancy-related fatalities. Vice President Harris has prioritized this crisis on the White House agenda, leading the first-ever maternal health meeting with Cabinet Secretaries and agency leaders. Her initiatives have generated significant commitments from both public and private sectors to address maternal health and the systemic inequities impacting Black, Native American, and rural women.
Access to Capital for Small Businesses: Native Americans are over three times more likely to lack access to traditional financial services. After securing over $12 billion in investments for community lenders during her Senate tenure, Vice President Harris has worked to implement this funding, encouraging lenders to foster inclusive entrepreneurship and develop high-opportunity communities. This effort has resulted in substantial investments in CDFIs that support Native-owned businesses.
Addressing the Climate Crisis: Before the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, Vice President Harris advocated for investments crucial to Indian Country, focusing on climate resilience and water infrastructure. She continues to be a key advocate for these investments, promoting their potential for job creation and economic opportunity through various initiatives, including groundbreaking events and discussions at the White House.
Voting Rights: In July 2021, the Vice President gathered Native American and Alaska Native leaders to discuss voting rights as part of her ongoing efforts to protect access to the ballot. In March 2022, she marked the one-year anniversary of the Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting by highlighting the Administration's achievements and releasing a report on Native American voting rights.
Access to Affordable Internet: Vice President Harris has consistently championed affordable internet access. In August 2022, she announced $146 million in awards through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and an additional $1 billion in funding during a press call with Tribal media outlets.
Choosing the presidential candidate based on the tribal sovereignty ticket, the choice can not be much clearer. KAMALA HARRIS is the best choice for Indian Country.
Of course, her experience as California’s attorney general, a U.S. senator and four years as vice president has given her command on policy issues far beyond tribal politics.
If you have not already done so, VOTE on or before November 5.
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