Opinion: Voting rights for Native Americans

Wednesday, January 17, 2007  

""Gerrymandering eats at our right to vote" is the title of a Tribune editorial (Dec. 16) concerning two congressional redistricting plans being talked about prior to the 2007 legislative session.

The Tribune's premise for the editorial attacking the redistricting plans is based primarily political idealism, which for the most part I tend to agree with. But sometimes, this being one of them, idealism needs to be tempered with all of the facts.

The editorial does not address the 17,000-plus American Indians who were gerrymandered - there's that word again - out of the their district in the northern congressional district and placed in the southern congressional district.

Many of the disenfranchised American Indians were Navajos stripped from other Navajo-speaking peoples and placed in the southern district. This was done without a second thought as to the political, sociological and fiscal differences these American Indians have with the majority of the district, which contains communities such as Hobbs, Roswell, Carlsbad, Artesia and Las Cruces. The populations of these cities contain less than 1 percent American Indian populations."

Get the Story:
Harry M. Pavlides: Equal opportunity (The Albuquerque Tribune 1/16)

Related Stories:
DOJ joins Indian voting rights case in Wyoming (12/18)
Indian voters win case against South Dakota city (12/8)
Indian voters in South Dakota win another case (08/23)
Bush signs Voting Rights Act extension into law (07/28)
Senate approves extension to Voting Rights Act (7/21)
Indian woman seeks office in South Dakota county (7/20)
House approves renewal of Voting Rights Act (7/14)
Indian voting rights at stake in renewal legislation (6/30)
Editorial: Indian voting rights report 'over the top' (05/30)
Report on South Dakota Native voting rights released (5/18)
Editorial: Racial injustice in South Dakota (5/15)
Native voting rights case revived by court (5/8)
Voting Rights Act up for reauthorization (03/27)
Indian votes sought in South Dakota county (01/23)
South Dakota county to redraw voting districts (11/16)
South Dakota county violates Native voting rights (10/31)
South Dakota cleared for appeal on voting rights (10/07)
South Dakota appeals Native voting rights case (08/09)
NCAI joins push to reauthorize Voting Rights Act (8/2)
Court bars state in Native voting rights case (07/15)
Editorial: Redraw districts for Native voting rights (07/15)
Editorial: Stop stalling on Native voting rights (7/14)
Lawmakers set for appeal of voting rights case (7/12)
Lawmakers weigh appeal of voting rights case (7/11)
Judge rejects claim in Indian voting rights lawsuit (3/25)
South Dakota Supreme Court to hear voting rights case (03/16)
Indian voters oppose bill aimed at settling lawsuit (03/01)
Suit challenges South Dakota county's voting districts (01/28)
South Dakota court takes voting rights question (01/24)
Editorial: Stop delaying Native voting rights case (12/16)
South Dakota Indians seek action on voting rights (12/13)
South Dakota seeks delay in Native voting case (11/02)
Editorial: Don't appeal Indian voting rights case (09/28)
Judge: South Dakota violated Indian voting rights (09/16)
Federal judge to issue voting rights ruling this summer (05/04)
ACLU rests case in Indian voting rights trial (04/23)
S.D. Indians testify of racism in voting rights trial (04/15)
Trial into Indian voting rights in South Dakota continues (4/14)
Trial examines Indian voting rights in South Dakota (4/13)
Indian voters least likely to have identification (10/28)
County won't allow Indians to use tribal ID to register (10/06)
Panel holds hearing on South Dakota voter ID law (07/16)
Voter ID law seen as attempt to suppress Indian vote (7/7)
Tribal college president calls for repeal of ID law (7/2)
Indian voter complaints referred to authorities (6/29)
Group files suit over problems Indian voters faced (6/28)
Editorial: Indian vote hearings won't do any good (06/17)
Daschle seeks hearings over Indian voter problems (6/15)
S.D. ID law passed to 'turn Native voters down' (6/11)
Tom Daschle: Indian Country shows its clout (6/10)
Lawsuits planned for problems Indian voters faced (6/10)
South Dakota Indian vote doubled last week (6/7)
Republican admits Indian voters decided election (6/4)
Russell Means ready to give up on Republican Party (6/3)
Voting problems reported by South Dakota Indians (6/3)
Democrat Stephanie Herseth heads to House (6/2)
Battle is on for Indian voters in South Dakota (04/26)
Lakota man pleased with Cheney visit to support Thune (03/09)
Indian Republican surprised that party accepts him (03/05)
Thune urges GOP to reach out to Indian voters (01/26)
CNN host unapologetic for Indian vote 'uproar' (1/12)
Tribal official says host hurts Republican Party (01/12)
CNN host accuses Indians of stealing Senate election (1/9)
Native voters in S.D. county make history (01/08)
Indian vote eyed in race between Thune, Daschle (1/7)
Indian voter fraud claims linger after election (12/10)
S.D. county elects Native leaders (11/08)
Indian votes helped Johnson (11/7)
Indians mobilize to defeat white leaders (10/31)