North Dakota tribal leaders: Different Nations are working together to propel Heitkamp to victory

[babylonsister]

North Dakota tribal leaders: Different Nations are working together to propel Heitkamp to victory
"Even though we are sovereign nations, we all rise together. It is actually a beautiful thing.”
Danielle McLean
Nov 5, 2018, 1:22 pm


ST. MICHAEL, NORTH DAKOTA — North Dakota’s Native peoples are united behind Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and determined to translate that support into votes on Tuesday, despite the state’s restrictive voter ID laws that is making it harder for them to cast ballots, elected leaders of two tribal nations said.

That’s because Heitkamp (D-ND) has listened to Native voices, while her Republican opponent Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and other leading Republicans — including President Trump — are viewed negatively by many tribal people.

Heitkamp’s “got the support. I know Cramer might have a couple of people but she’s got the support,” Myra Pearson, chair of Spirit Lake Sioux tribe, told ThinkProgress.

“I think our people now are woke and they are standing up and they are not only getting out to vote but they are also looking at all the candidates,” said Jamie Azure, chair of Turtle Mountain Nation. He estimated 70 to 80 percent of the tribe votes Democrat, which is why Republicans targeted Native Americans with the voter ID laws.

However, their efforts have backfired, said Azure. So far, Turtle Mountain has issued 2,000 new IDs since the 2016 election, meaning far more tribal members will be able to vote on Tuesday than did two years ago.

Now several North Dakota tribes, including Standing Rock and Spirit Lake nations — both Sioux tribes — Turtle Mountain, a band of Chippewa Indians, and three-affiliated tribes of Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (which make up MHA Nation) are all working together to fight the ID laws and get their members to the polls, in a rare joint effort.

“I think the powers that be underestimated the tribes and our willingness to rise when we are presented a challenge, even in a reactionary mode,” said Azure.

“The events of North Dakota over the past five years have really united the tribes of North Dakota more than we ever have been. So even though we are sovereign nations, we all rise together. It is actually a beautiful thing.”

more...

https://thinkprogress.org/north-dakota-tribal-leaders-different-nations-are-working-together-to-propel-heitkamp-to-victory-4b130247a28e/

[sheshe2]

1. "We all rise together"

Yes we do.

[RainCaster]

2. This makes me smile

Glad to have donated to this cause, these Americans are the best among us when they join together.

[lostnfound]

3. Native American population is 5.4% in North Dakota

Wonder if news of this targeted suppression will spill over into other states.
https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/united-states/quick-facts/all-states/american-indian-and-alaskan-native-population-percentage

Montana, South Dakota, New Mexico, Arizona.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

4. Booker went to Standing Rock

As Booker slams ND voter ID law in Standing Rock appearance, state official predicts record Native American turnout

FORT YATES — In a fiery speech on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker slammed North Dakota’s voter identification law as he campaigned for fellow Democrat Heidi Heitkamp Friday.

But just hours earlier at the state Capitol in Bismarck, the state’s tribal liaison expressed confidence voters wouldn’t be disenfranchised when they head to the polls Tuesday.

Booker, a potential 2020 presidential candidate, linked the debate over North Dakota’s voter ID law to election administration controversies in other states, including claims of voter suppression in the race for governor in Georgia.

[...]

https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/as-booker-slams-nd-voter-id-law-in-standing-rock/article_08fc5c9e-11ba-585b-9001-62523d755cdb.html