Politics
Indian Republican surprised that party accepts him


Bruce Whalen, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, has a big task this year: to convince American Indians in the state to vote Republican.

Whalen says the Republican Party is aligned with the Lakota ideals of respect for life, limited government, sovereignty and local control. He blames poverty, alcoholism, abuse and other problems on government programs and tribal governments that depend on government money.

As he campaigns for the GOP, he says he is happy to know that fellow Republicans accept him. "That says to me inclusion," Whalen told The Rapid City Journal.

Get the Story:
GOP eyes American Indian vote in traditional Democratic stronghold (The Rapid City Journal 3/5)
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