Will Native Americans make a difference in the next election?

Apparently the parties think so. And the Native American community seems to be gearing up to make a difference. Will the pukes manage to "make the pie higher" or are Native Americans in general more comfortable in our tent?

http://www.indiancountry.com/article/1081185397
American Indians Get Out The Vote
Denver Pow wow attendees get registered

Posted: April 05, 2004 - 1:14pm EST
by: Brenda Norrell / Southwest Staff Reporter / Indian Country Today

<snip>
"So, with our vote in the key battleground states this fall, we are prepared to elect the next President of the United States, and with our growing numbers I believe we can decide the outcome of the election. That is why we have finally caught the attention of both the Democratic and Republican parties."

Hall said during the winter session, there was a record list of Administration and Congressional officials meeting with American Indian leaders. He also pointed out that political experts agree that the key states that will determine the outcome of the election include 10 states with Indian tribes, some of them with significant Native populations.

These states include Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Maine and Florida. In the 2000 Presidential elections, the margin of victory for President Bush or Vice President Gore was less than 4 percent in each of these states, excluding Arizona.

For some, such as New Mexico, Wisconsin, Washington, Oregon and Florida, the margin of victory was in the thousands and in two cases, in the hundreds.

<snip>

I remember during the primaries, several Native American groups were very excited about the Clark campaign... I'd certainly think that they'd be more comfortable with Kerry than Bush?

Russel Means was slagging the hell out of the Deocratic party the other day, though. I wish I had the link. It had to do with the race in North Dakota.

oops posted twice

have had nothing but a string of bad luck from republican governors - from pete wilson trying to take away their gaming rights to our current governor arnold believing they should just give all their money to the state (that is until someone told him about the history of native americans, i guess now he understands how bad things were until casinos popped up) - anyways, california votes dem consistently in presidential elections so there is really no worry over here anyways.

I'm in Wisconsin, one of the target states, and I have to say that the Native population has been very quiet in past elections, IMO. I'd love to see them get more involved.

Trying to swing the reservation vote.

Republicans eye American Indian vote
Could play decisive role in Daschle, Thune Senate race
By Carson Walker
Associated Press Writer

PINE RIDGE - Bruce Whalen is trying to persuade people around the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to do something they just don't do: vote Republican.

The task may seem daunting - if not impossible - in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 11-to-1. But Republicans believe the Indian vote could play a decisive role in this year's closely watched Senate race between Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle and former GOP Rep. John Thune.

http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/8374690.htm

Daschle agreed Indians will play a big role in this year's Senate race. But he said a Democrat is better suited to represent them in the long run and help with issues such as health care, law enforcement and housing.

And exactly what has HE done to improve Indian lives? I'd like to hear that one.

South Dakota's nine Indian reservations could play a role in another closely watched campaign this year: a special election in June to fill the congressional seat that Rep. Bill Janklow gave up after being convicted of manslaughter in a traffic accident.

The people on the Pine Ridge have had no love for Janklow for years and years, but somehow he's managed to hang in there until now.

It makes me furious to hear Daschle or any politician talk about treaties keeping the government from doing more to help Indians. As if the government hasn't broken every single treaty it's made with the tribes.

OTOH, Russell Means ought to remember that it was Nixon (a Republican!!!) who replaced termination (for which Means blames any number of his own woes) with at least the concept of self-determination.

And it was Bill Clinton who went to the Pine Ridge with promises that the government would help the people to do what they felt needed to be done for themselves and their children (depicted in the opening scenes of Chris Eyre's film Skins.) Ah, yes, and he was going to designate the Pine Ridge as some sort of enterprise zone and put all kinds of money into economic development. Wasn't that just before the feds put the torch to Alex White Plume's hemp crop for what... the third time?

Frankly, I don't see either party doing much for the Indians, and certainly the Indians not on the Pine Ridge. Nor anywhere else really.

Daschle's OK, but he just went down a peg in my opinion.

http://www.kucinich.us/firstnations/

http://130.94.214.68/nativevote/candidate_info/bio-kucinich.asp

http://graywolf94.tripod.com/

http://www.indiancountry.com/?1074963588

just a few