Campaigns beat path to Indians
Originally published in the Albuquerque Tribune
Campaigns beat path to Indians
By Shea Andersen
Tribune Reporter
Dennis Kucinich and Wesley Clark draped woolen blankets over their dark suits, doing their best to look presidential, American Indian style.
The two Democratic presidential contenders worked the crowd Monday at the National Congress of American Indians, taking place this week at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The blankets were gifts for showing up, but the real reward might be far greater: the votes of about 3,000 Indians expected to attend the group's 60th meeting.
Howard Dean will speak Wednesday. John Kerry and Dick Gephardt made appearances via video Monday.
Suddenly Indians are on the campaign trail, with more influence than they've had before. NCAI President Tex Hall said Indians are ready to play a role in the political scene.
"We've done it in the past; we can do it in the future," Hall said.
There are three motivations for candidates to court the Indian vote.
To the fund-raiser, there is money from Indian casinos. To the vote-counter, there are votes; not many but enough to tip the scales in a tight race. Lastly, to the image-makers, there is the symbolism of appearing at a major Indian event such as the NCAI.
While tribes have been a part of American politics for a while, their casinos have only recently become a force in fund raising.
Indian gaming has become a huge industry in states like New Mexico where tribes have casino operations, and tribes are donating that money to candidates.
"I suppose Indian casinos might be helping us a little," Hall said.
Just ask Gov. Bill Richardson. In the 2002 governor's race, Richardson's campaign took in more than $150,000 in donations from various New Mexico tribes, according to campaign finance reports.
"Indians now have gaming money," said Gilbert St. Clair, a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. "That's political contributions.
Getting Indians to the polls, however, is another thing.
"Studies I've seen over the last several years have shown that their participation rate is relatively low," St. Clair said.
Hall said there are about 1.5 million registered Indian voters nationwide, out of an eligible population of about 3 million.
Jackie Johnson, NCAI executive director, said the group is launching a "Native Vote" project aimed at increasing the registration and participation of Indians.
They've even got a new bumper sticker that reads, "I'm Indian and I vote."
Johnson said she wants tribes to track politicians' voting records once they're elected.
"We call members of Congress and let them know we're watching how they vote," Johnson said.
Hall said turnout could be boosted by scheduling tribal elections to coincide with national and state elections. Tribal elections, he said, typically get high turnout.
In New Mexico, where Al Gore beat George Bush by just 366 votes in the 2000 election, getting as many Indian votes as possible could tip the scales.
Democrats, in particular, have a lot to gain. In 2001, there 34,838 Indians registered as Democrats in the state, compared with 7,000 Republicans, according to the Secretary of State's Office.
"John Kerry feels that the native American vote is very important," said Mary Smith, a Kerry campaign worker who is also an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation and former director of Native American Affairs for the Clinton administration.
Smith said Gore's 366-vote margin has been well parsed.
"I think it was the native votes that made a difference," she said.
There is also a national image boost from appearing at the NCAI. Both Kucinich and Dean are aiming for progressive, liberal Democrats, St. Clair said.
"There are some issues, like tribal sovereignty, that resonate with groups sympathetic to those issues," St. Clair said.
So what are Indians looking for?
Tribal sovereignty. Better funding for Indian health programs. Better funding and better recognition of tribes in homeland security initiatives.
The theme for this year's conference is "Sovereign Nations, One Enduring Voice." Hall said tribes are looking for more equal relations with the federal government and more respect for tribal authority.
So when Kucinich said he wanted to restore tribal sovereignty, and had a written policy to back it up, he touched a nerve in a good way.
"Man, when you start saying things like that, people pay attention," Hall said.
Clark also scored points by recognizing Indian veterans in the audience. His timing was right; the audience had just seen an emotional presentation about Lori Piestewa, the Navajo soldier from Arizona who died in Iraq. Her parents and two children were on hand for a celebration of her life.
When Clark, a retired Army general, asked all the veterans in the crowd to stand, he led a raucous round of applause for them and got some for himself, too.
"You've enriched this country for generations," Clark said. "But sadly, our country has not returned the favors."
But, Hall said, there are no endorsements to be made, yet.
"We're still looking," Hall said.
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