Stevens Jr.: Let the Native voice be heardThe Indian country vote will once again make a difference
By
Ernie Stevens Jr.
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| We must select people who will work on behalf of the best interests of Indian country regarding adequate health care, quality education, the right to fully govern our lands and to protect our tribal citizenry, and the right to see that our nation’s commitments to tribes are fulfilled. |
All around this country, in every major election over the past few years our vote has made a tremendous difference. That is why pushing the Native vote has been a priority in this electoral cycle, especially in many of the key swing states such as Arizona, New Mexico, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana and Wisconsin. They know that the Indian country vote will once again make a difference.
We must select people who will work on behalf of the best interests of Indian country regarding adequate health care, quality education, the right to fully govern our lands and to protect our tribal citizenry, and the right to see that our nation’s commitments to tribes are fulfilled. The price of not voting is too high right now, with potential budget cuts to Indian country programs as a result of the economic crisis.
Many say that one vote will not make a difference and many people mistakenly believe that what happens on Capitol Hill has nothing to do with their daily lives. That is simply not true.
With the advent of Indian gaming, which began in earnest in the early 1990s, tribal communities have taken advantage of the unprecedented opportunity to rebuild our communities and revitalize our economies, languages and cultures.
As an advocacy organization, our job at the National Indian Gaming Association is to continue to work on behalf of Indian country regarding the legislative issues that impact Indian gaming. Fulfilling our mission at NIGA – advancing the lives of Indian people – economically, socially and politically, can all be greatly aided by the Indian country voter turnout. Your vote empowers our efforts and is the defense of tribal sovereignty, Indian self-determination, and the promotion of economic development on behalf of Indian country.
I commend the efforts of those who continue to work at energizing the Native vote by working all over Indian country, coordinating “get out and vote” initiatives, and committing themselves to working at increasing our Native presence at the polls.
Right here in my state of Wisconsin, the Native Get Out The Vote initiative has been in full force. I was honored with the opportunity to be part of the GOTV bus tour. Led by tribal elders Eunice Stick of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community and Delores Johns of the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, and coordinated by Gerald Danforth, former chairman of the Oneida Tribe, and Scott Vele, executive director of the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes, the GOTV bus tour was successful in reaching out to all of the tribes in Wisconsin, registering hundreds of voters.
Further, it was exciting that the bus tour made visits to all 11 tribes throughout Wisconsin and were met by tribal leadership, tribal membership, employees and their local GOTV forces who have worked for months in each of their communities on this campaign.
During our visit to the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe, Chairman Phillip Shopodock said, “The importance of coming together, united in the effort to get out the vote will not go unnoticed. We will make it clear that we can make the difference not only in our local and state elections, but as a key voting state in the race for the presidency of the United States. Without a doubt, the Wisconsin Native vote will make a difference.”
Throughout Indian country there are continued examples of the Native GOTV drive, such as ours in Wisconsin. Many people are volunteering their time and efforts in each of their tribal communities to amplify the Native voice. I know this Indian country-wide effort will prove rewarding. The Indian country vote will be the significant vote this election year.
We all yearn to make a difference, and elections provide that opportunity. The right to vote means nothing if we don’t show up at the polls.
Let’s make our voices heard. Let’s continue to make democracy work for us.
Ernest L. Stevens, Jr. an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. He has been the Chairman and national spokesman for the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) in Washington, DC since 2001. NIGA, established in 1985, is a non-profit organization of 168 Indian Nations with other non-voting associate members representing tribes and businesses engaged in tribal gaming enterprises from around the country
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Thursday, Apr 2 at 1:09 AM kathy mae wrote ...
i really liked this article and this article really hit close to hme, most of the natives from my tribe would not even vote at all until barack obama was running an found out just how much of our vote made a difference and was glad and felt relieved to vote, and it was incredible. i vote foe everthing and have been since i turned 18 in 1998. i may be just 1 person but 1 person can make a difference.
18970292Sunday, Nov 16 at 6:01 PM ta oyate duta wrote ...
I exercised my right to vote for the first time in 1968 when I turned 18 and have voted in every national, state, county and city, school board election since then. I door knocked, caucused, leafleted, organized and was a surrogate for a number of candidates over the years. Now as a grandmother, I don't need to hear any more empty promises. As far as I am concerned until we, as Indian people, have a viable Indian economy that supports Indian businesses, we will never have parity of any kind.
12387199Wednesday, Oct 29 at 3:31 PM John wrote ...
The first paragraph of this article really says it all. On this I completely agree with Ernie; by voting Native people give the state and federal governments consent to legislate, adjudicate and otherwise govern over them. The metes and bounds of Native sovereignty will be determined by those voted in. At least that is the claim and that claim is certainly bolstered by those Native people that have replaced their Native identity with an American one.
11548719Wednesday, Oct 29 at 11:29 AM CitizenW wrote ...
I'm one of those American People who was born and grew up in Wisconsin. I now have lived and worked in DC for 33 years. The author wrote: "Our nation’s democratic system is founded on the abiding principle that people consent to be governed. One of the most basic and important ways we give our consent is by casting our vote." Living in DC, we DC denizens have no representation, no opportunity to either grant or withold our consent to those who govern us. Governed without Consent!
11532754Wednesday, Oct 29 at 8:57 AM John wrote ...
Even if Native peolple have an opinion or a preference as to who gets elected in the stste and federal elections(and we certainly do), they are not the representatives of our sovereign nations or people. They represent Americans. Americans should vote. Cast a ballot every year or so and then claim you have done your civic duty. Native people can't vote their way out of centuries of injustice. They can only vote their way into being apart of more of it. Voting isn't a right. It's a choice.
11523879Tuesday, Oct 28 at 2:10 PM Jon wrote ...
i don't feel insulted that ernie encourages all to vote...when we don't particpate in the voting process, then we all deserve the representation we get...in this whole process, we still get to keep our native identity.
11489364Tuesday, Oct 28 at 9:38 AM John wrote ...
Ernie may embrace his American citizenship and his American rights, but there are still many of us that consider ourselves Mohawks, Lakota, Kiowa, Hopi and Oneida; not just Americans of Oneida descent. I don't know how this deceptive assimilation is tolerated. It should be made clear to Native people that this kind of participation in the American political system is a choice we make to leave our canoe and enter their vessel. Ernie, you should stop insulting the people you abandoned long ago.
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