Editorial: Politicians can't afford to ignore Native vote

Friday, September 7, 2007  

"Noting that only three of the eight major Democratic presidential contenders showed at the first effort to bring them to "Indian country," voters and organizers are justified in wondering if they are as good as their words.

The tribes are eager to increase their activity in the electoral process. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party and the candidates articulated a need to include them. That's part of what Nevada's early caucuses are all about. Except for Gov. Bill Richardson, U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel and Congressman Dennis Kucinich, candidates' failure to show at a forum held in Southern California by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians is what has folks wondering. The organizer of a forum set on a Choctaw reservation in Oklahoma said as much.

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton displayed a level of commitment in Nevada with an advisory committee of tribal leaders, including Arlan Melendez, chairman of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. For some, passing on the Morongo event could cast a shadow on her commitment."

Get the Story:
Candidates can't afford to ignore Indian vote (The Reno Gazette-Journal 9/7)

$rl Prez on the Rez - http://www.prezontherez.org
Indigenous Democratic Network - http://www.indnslist.org

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