Tribal leaders, political activists and the Democrat and Republican parties have made an unprecedented effort to increase the Native vote this year.

The National Congress of American Indians hopes to send 1 million Natives to the polls on November 2. That would represent about one-third of the estimated 2.7 million Native voters.

A recent pow-wow at the Tacoma Dome in Washington reportedly drew 20,000 people in an effort to get out the vote. "It was your vote that elected Maria Cantwell," Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) told the crowd, Jodi Rave Lee reported.

Natives only make up about 1 percent of the U.S. population but make up significant portions of the population in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Washington. In the states, Native voters have the power to sway close elections.

Get the Story:
Election '04: Natives gaining political muscle (Lee Enterprises 10/23)
Time of gathering (Lee Enterprises 10/23)
Where the Native vote counts (Lee Enterprises 10/23)

Relevant Links:
Jodi Rave Lee - http://www.missoulian.com/jodirave
Native Vote 2004 - http://www.nativevote.org

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