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OCTOBER 25, 2000

With less than two weeks left until the country elects a new President, voters in Indian Country are being encouraged to go to the polls and make their voices heard loud and clear.

"Let's get out there and vote," said Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, on Tuesday. "Show them that you have muscle."

Along with other leaders in Native America, Inouye is calling on Indian Country to show up at the polls on November 7. He appeared with Susan Masten, president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), on the nationally syndicated radio program Native America Calling.

Inouye said that while Native Americans often show up at tribal elections in large numbers, the turnout for federal elections is less than 10 percent. He attributed the low turnout to alienation felt by Indian voters.

However, alienation and distaste for the political process isn't just a problem in Indian Country. The Center for Voting and Democracy recently held an essay contest on why Americans don't vote and received more than 9,000 submissions from students and young Americans, some expressing anger with the state of politics in the country.

"I am tired of being lied to. If you want me to get up off the couch and fill in a bunch of little circles on a ballet you are going to have to work for it," wrote a college student from Minnesota. "I am not an easy sell. My first instinct is to NOT TRUST."

Many Native Americans learned to be wary of the federal government years ago. And it appears the rest of the country has been catching on, as less than half of eligible American voters participated in the 1996 election and even less are expected this year, according to the Center.

Congressional elections were worse. Only about 36 percent turned out in 1998, says the Center.

Still, both Inouye and Masten on Tuesday said the election is crucial for Indians. With challenges being faced by tribes in areas such as taxation, funding, and land, Inouye said it all boils down to one important issue.

"Without sovereignty, Indians have lost their identity," said Inouye. "That is the essence of Indian Country -- sovereignty."

But if listeners of the program were moved by the guests or any callers, their enthusiasm will have to wait until the next set of federal elections. The deadline to register in most states has passed within the past couple of weeks.

Relevant Links:
The Center for Voting and Democracy - www.fairvote.org/index.html
Native America Calling - www.nativecalling.org

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