The National Congress of American Indians national Native Vote campaign released data this week that confirms that Native American voters could influence the outcomes of the presidential and congressional elections in key states.
In Alaska, for instance, where there are 226 tribes, the Native voting age population is 81,762, or 19 percent of the total population. In Montana, home to seven tribes, the Native voting age population is 46,669, or 6 percent of the total population. In New Mexico, home to 22 tribes, Native voters number 140,401, or 11 percent of the total population.
"While political analysts have been focusing on the Hispanic vote in Florida, Arizona and New Mexico, the Native Vote continues to be overlooked as a secret weapon in this election," NCAI President Joe A. Garcia said in a press release.
The NCAI Native Vote initiative is mobilizing voters in 20 states, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, North Dakota and South Dakota.
I applaude President Joe Garcia of the NCAI for his determination of getting the vote out in Indian Country. Obma is the right choice for our President because of his promise of helping our people attain Self-Determination and Self-Government. Micmacs are certainly going to vote for the Democratic Party. Come on out and mobilize the vote in your area or State. Wela'lin. Tony from Maine...
ReplyDeleteAfter the Jack Abramoff fiasco with the Choctaw Nation of Mississippi, it's time for the Choctaws and the 4 Civilized Tribes to get divest themselves from the Republican Party once and for all and vote Democratic and for Obama.
ReplyDeleteThe Bush Thugs have done much to harm Native Americans, not to mention the threat that he and Fox and Canada still pose in trying to usurp our SOVEREIGNTY with the TREASONOUS AND SECRET IMPLEMENTATION of the NORTH AMERICAN UNION.
It's time, like Dennis Kucinich says of the American voting public, to WAKE UP and VOTE before it is too late for us all. And that may be a hard lesson to learn for the those tribal leaders across the US who still support the Republican party.
WAKE UP NATIVE AMERICA!
All well and good. Only one thing…and I am not endorsing either candidate…BUT…Mr. Obama made his appearance with the Crow tribe and was welcomed with open arms from other tribes…yet, he had NO IDEA what our issues were. He was even SHOCKED (during his first appearance w/natives) that there was such a thing as a reservation and wanted to know what a rez even was. Why do Indians have land separate from others and what was this about sovereignty? He had no idea, yet (IMO; because of his race) we welcomed him with open arms! Now think, if it had been a white candidate who was THAT ignorant about us…would we have openly accepted him? Would we have “adopted” him as one of our own and been so openly supportive?
ReplyDeleteAs for McCain…he at least knows our issues and has even fought on behalf of increasing budgets for Health Care in Indian country and on behalf of increasing HUD budgets in Indian Country. He KNOWS our issues and has fought for them! But…he has also proven to be a “republican lap-dog” in the past five years. Where he once would have had support from his independent, maverick style of running with his issues, he has now become a republican “yes man”. Since the previous presidential election when he abandoned his friends and was quickly reeled in by the republican machine to stand by the corrupt Bush administration, he lost respect from voters like me and has no credibility (IMO).
So that leaves us to look at the VP choices as our back-up and McCain chose someone w/out a lot of experience to compare to Biden (Obama’s) running mate. Then I stopped and thought… WHY the heck do I even BOTHER…our choices (neither one ideal) were chosen by the media anyway! MY choice was ignored to the point he was forced out and my second choice wasn’t even given a real chance (by the media) either! It has been an unfair fight all the way around because my candidates were fair game for attacks but Obama was off limits for the same things (fear of being labeled racist?). Example; he’s caught in a blatant lie, but Hillary was attacked forever over her story of ducking sniper fire! THINK; if any other candidate had been attending and supporting a church where the minister was making racial slurs/attacks/comments…they would have been roasted over hot coals…yet he gets a free ride?
Our people country wide are going to make the case for Barack Obama. I think the embracing of all people is so refreshing to see. The republicans are vilifying certain nationalities. What would they say if it was a Native American? What, your people support each other? There have been grave injustices done to a whole nation of people and they dare speak about it? There there, just move on. I don't think so. Many of our people know injustice and speak out strongly on our history and all that that entails. That is not wrong, that's history.
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