Kalyn Free, the founder and president of the Indigenous Democrat Network, says Oklahoma Indians need to exercise their political clout.
American Indians and Alaska Natives make up 8 percent of the state population. That's similar to the Native population in other states, like South Dakota and Washington, where their votes have made a difference in national races.
But Free, a member of the Choctaw Nation, says Oklahoma tribes aren't doing enough to wield their political power. She also says Democrats aren't reaching out to Indian Country, citing Republican efforts to target Native voters.
Free is a super delegate for the national Democratic party. She hasn't decided whether to back Sen. Hillary Clinton
(D-New York) or Sen. Barack
Obama (D-Illinois), both of whom skipped her presidential forum last fall.
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