Kerry Claims the Native Vote
Kerry, his Family and the Democrats have paid their collective respects to the Oyate, the People of the First Nations. . . the Oyate will do their part come November 2. . .
--ryan
DAN K. THOMASSON: Why American Indians are supporting Kerry
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Scripps Howard News Service
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (SH) - What do most American Indians have in common with a silver-spoon, prep-school Yale graduate from Massachusetts whose wife has a billion dollars? The answer is obvious - nothing.
But that's not going to stop most of them in this battleground state from voting for John Kerry to replace another silver-spoon, prep-school Yale graduate, George W. Bush, whom they contend has let them down despite a Texas upbringing that should have made him more understanding of their problems. Navajo leaders officially have endorsed Kerry, as has the All-Indian Pueblo Council, consisting of governors of the 19 New Mexico Pueblos. Members of other tribes have indicated they also support him. Bush has very shallow support.
So what's new for the American Indians when it comes to presidential elections? Once again, they are betting on the outcome (with a nod to the gaming industry that has helped some of the tribes overcome traditional economic deprivation) in a major crapshoot that has gone on nearly every four years since the founding of the country. For the nation's indigenous population, pinning hopes on the promises of one pale-faced administration after another has been a way of life.
That, of course, is what Kerry has given the current generation - a promise to listen more closely to their needs, including a renewed effort to straighten out the Bureau of Indian Affairs book-keeping scandal, which by many accounts has cheated the tribes out of billions of dollars in trust funds. Well, good luck in that, Sen. Kerry. Federal courts have been trying to resolve the accounting failures through the last three administrations to no avail and despite holding the last two Interior secretaries in contempt.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, Kerry has also promised to re-establish an Office of Indian Affairs that the Bush administration abolished after Bill Clinton left office and to restore some $52 million in BIA funds the White House has proposed eliminating in the 2005 budget. Although American Indian leaders give Bush credit for improving the schools, they say his budget cuts include $6 million in school operation funds.
For whatever reason, the president, unlike Kerry, has not met with Indian leaders on several visits here. Instead, Bush has depended on a longtime Republican senator, Pete Domenici, a member of the Senate Indian affairs subcommittee, to press his case for American Indian support. If the local press is correct, it hasn't been enough despite Domenici's high standing in the Indian community. Tribal leaders have politely countered that while Bush has helped with some issues, his overall attention to their problems has been lacking.
The Journal quoted Sandia Pueblo Gov. Stuwart (cq) Paisano as saying Kerry understands that "we've been neglected. I think the current administration has had four years to really address Native American issues across the board - housing, health care, education, trust responsibility, law enforcement. From an on-ground perspective, a lot of these issues are getting worse. All you have to do is go to a reservation"
The presidential campaign, as in a number of other battleground states, is a dead heat here, giving the Indians some leverage that they might not otherwise have. Registration among all voters in the state's most populous country, Bernalillo, has set a record, with 356, 172 signed up to vote on Nov. 2, compared to 289,000 registered in the 2002 general election, according to The Albuquerque Tribune. TheTribune said the County Clerk's Office had mailed out 63,310 absentee ballots as of last Monday, as compared to 55,000 in 2002.
Whether Indians here and elsewhere will once again be disappointed should Kerry win is anyone's guess. In fairness, the Bush White House has helped with some major Native American problems, including a push to help control rampant diabetes. While supporting his opponent, the Navajo leaders have given him credit for improving the school situation.
There is a tendency among all American minorities to align themselves with the political party that promises them the most, only to find out too often that they suddenly are taken for granted or, when the other party wins, that they have little or no leverage. African-Americans have been so afflicted for most of the last century, with 90 percent of these voters supporting Democratic candidates for president even when that party supported a segregated South as part of its base.
American Indians deserve better than to be cheated once again. Hopefully, both candidates will keep their promises. But don't bet on it.
Dan K. Thomasson is former editor of the Scripps Howard News Service.
Posted on 10/28/04 11:54:00
http://www.modbee.com/24hour/opinions/story/1778011p-9630518c.html
posted by ryan @ 10:36
1 Comments:
Kerry's Promise to Indian Country
© Indian Country Today October 25, 2004. All Rights Reserved
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Counting down the days until Election Day 2004, the American Indian team of the Kerry-Edwards campaign in New Mexico accelerated efforts to proclaim Kerry's message of respect for Indian sovereignty and the promise of new key positions in Washington.
Holly Cook, Kerry-Edwards Native American director in New Mexico, said Indian people should look carefully at the Kerry-Edwards campaign platform before casting their ballots.
''Kerry promises an open-door policy to Native Americans in this administration,'' said Cook, Red Lake Chippewa from Minnesota.
Cook pointed out that Kerry ensured the appointment of American Indians as federal judges and vowed to create an American Indian liaison in the White House. The position of the Director of the Indian Health Service would be elevated to assistant secretary.
Cook, member of the Kerry-Edwards Native American Policy Group, said resolution of trust fund issues is a focal point in Kerry's comprehensive plan.
''Kerry has made a commitment to trust reform and a meeting with tribal leaders within the first 100 days in office to discuss trust reform.''
The endorsements of Navajo President Joe Shirley, the Navajo Nation council and numerous pueblo leaders were important planks in the campaign in New Mexico.
''Their recognition of John Kerry's commitment to Indian country has meant a lot to our campaign,'' Cook told Indian Country Today.
Focused on the Native vote in New Mexico, the Kerry campaign recently brought Chris Stearns, Navajo, to Albuquerque, N.M. from Washington, D.C. as New Mexico's American Indian campaign consultant.
Stearns is on leave from both Hobbs Straus Dean & Walker law firm and his position as campaign advisor to Tex Hall, president of the National Congress of American Indians. Stearns has run numerous campaigns at the state, federal and tribal level, including one in the state of North Dakota for the Gore-Lieberman campaign in 2000. In 2002 Stearns worked on turning out the Navajo vote to record levels for the ''Bill Richardson for Governor'' campaign.
Kerry and Edwards' platform promises to revolutionize the status and fortunes of Indian country.
''John Kerry and John Edwards will re-open the doors of the White House to the Native American community,'' states their platform pledge.
As president, Kerry promised to sign an Executive Order, which supports ''regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration with Indian tribal governments.'' On the issue of trust reform, he vowed to work with tribes to continue ''meaningful and accountable trust reform.''
Kerry vowed to appoint an Indian to a senior position in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs as his liaison to the American Indian community, in recognition of the government-to-government relationship.
Further, he pledged to make more appointments of American Indians to key positions than Bush did while president. This includes positions in the Department of the Interior, Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Homeland Security.
Responding to a longstanding demand, he also promised to work to appoint American Indian judges to the federal judiciary.
Calling it a comprehensive agenda to improve the lives of Americans Indians, he vowed to ''work every day to promote tribal sovereignty.''
While he points out there have been a number of successes in Indian country, he said these times of economic hardship were worsened by the policies of the Bush administration. The federal government, he said, must partner with Indian tribes to improve access to health care, provide more educational opportunities, and strengthen economic development efforts.
Kerry also points out that roads in Indian country are a national disgrace. ''One of the greatest barriers to economic development is the lack of adequate roads in Indian country. Although states spend $2,500 to $4,000 per mile for road maintenance annually on average, the federal government spends only $500 per mile for roads in Indian country.''
Promising more funds for roads and homes, Kerry said 40 percent of the homes in tribal communities are overcrowded and need repairs. His platform includes improving homeownership and building safe, affordable housing in Indian country.
Kerry said in 1997, there were almost 200,000 American Indian businesses employing almost 300,000 and generating $34.3 billion in revenue.
Recognizing that the future of increasing businesses in Indian country requires start-up funds, Kerry pledged to increase loans to Native-owned small businesses through the Small Business Administration. Voicing support for the Native American Small Business Development Act, he said the legislation would create a permanent Office of Native American Affairs at SBA and create a new grant program to assist American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Meanwhile, he said the U.S. economy has been in a
steady decline.
''After inheriting an economy that created 23 million jobs over the previous eight years, the Bush administration has presided over a loss of 1.8 million private sector jobs.''
The Kerry Edwards team vowed to ''create millions of high paying jobs in their first term.'' The goal is to ''assist tribes suffering from high employment and low outside investment.''
BIA schools show the most dismal statistics. With more than $2 billion for school repairs in the backlog, Kerry supports repairing and building new schools for Indian children. Improving literacy rates with culturally-relevant material is another stated goal. In the year 2000, 57 percent of fourth grade American Indian and Alaska Natives were reading below basic achievement levels.
Further, Kerry promises to increase funding for tribal colleges and Indian country law enforcement. While promoting state-tribal cooperative agreements where appropriate to reduce crime, he said he would create an American Indian position in the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that tribal governments are fully represented.
Pointing out that almost 15 percent of Indian households lack electricity, he supports the creation and funding of an office at the Department of Energy dedicated to energy issues in Indian country. He also seeks to partner with tribes to create alternative energy sources such as wind and solar.
Kerry said he will ensure that the natural resources are protected on Indian tribes' 50 million acres of land, which is approximately 2 percent of the United States.
American Indians campaigning for Kerry point out that in the Senate, Kerry voted to protect the rights of the White Earth Band reservation in northern Minnesota, voting against a bill on land claims that was opposed by most of the leaders of the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians.
Kerry cosponsored the Wampanoag Indian Claims Settlement Act to help settle land claims in his home state of Massachusetts.
Further, Kerry said when the Bush administration and the BIA were slow to assist the Nipmuc tribe's claims, he intervened and helped host a meeting with Nipmuc tribal members in his Washington office, urging the BIA to expedite its decision. He also voted for a bill to grant federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina
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