🕐Join us at 11am PST today for a deep dive into the status of #NativeAmerican voters as we head toward #Midterms2022. Watch the livestream here 👉ethnicmediaservices.org/media-briefing… @TrahantReports @NDNrights @IMediaFreedom
Welcome to today's briefing, Impact of Redistricting and Voter Suppression on Indian Country/Native American Voters. Reminder that you can watch the livestream here 👉 ethnicmediaservices.org/media-briefing…
Our moderator today is Indian Country Today editor emeritus @TrahantReports.
Our first speaker is Jacqueline De Leon with the Native American Rights Fund @NDNrights which has built a coalition of voting rights orgs looking to solve the issue of low Native voter turnout.
A report details the "absurd" barriers that hinder the Native American vote. Find the report here: vote.narf.org
Structural deficiencies are compounded by poverty and the "purposeful exclusion" of Native voters. "Fear is animating increased voting barriers across the country," says De Leon.
That fear, De Leon adds, stems from the power of Native Americans to swing key elections.
@NDNrights has won recent cases against efforts to ban ballot collection which courts found were intentionally designed to harm the Native vote. "This is the type of hostility we are seeing across the country."
@NDNrights has launched the largest case against redistricting involving Native Americans in history, and is challenging efforts to undermine the #VotingRightsAct.
We are still in a position where the Voting Rights Act must remain robust and strong. "We are banding together in order to fight back," says De Leon.
Our next speaker is Derrick Beetso, Director, Indian Gaming and Tribal Self-Governance programs, Arizona State School of Law.
We are dealing with vert real issues in Arizona related to the foundations of our democracy, say Beetso, pointing to redrawn redistricting maps that raise concerns about Navajo representation in Arizona.
In my view the purpose of redistricting was to make sure that every vote counted... in Arizona that isn't the case, says Beetso, noting maps were redrawn for political purposes, not to secure everyone's vote.
"We need to push through these barriers... as tribal peoples we have to understand that united we can be stronger and overcome these barriers," says Beetso.
@TrahantReports asks why Montana is against same day registration, something is was once proud of. According to De Leon, Native voters have to travel more than 100 miles to register, making same day reg critical.
These are steps to cut out participants, and "antithetical to American values."
Montana has historically had high Native participation, something De Leon says has generated a backlash. These voter suppression laws are not neutral, says De Leon.
A law in Az that affects voter reg requires a physical address to vote, says Beetso, urging Az residents to register as soon as possible, especially for those in rural areas or with a PO Box.
Navajo elections are happening at the same time as state elections, and Beetso says the two are distinct but there is some overlap. The Navajo community is choosing its next presidents.
De Leon says the 2020 Census led to a "dramatic undercount" of Indian Country, which impacts allocation of resources and add to the structural barriers confronting Native communities.
Beetso points to the "vibrant, young generation" that the Native American community can fall back on.
Our next speaker is Nicole Donaghy, Executive Director, North Dakota Native Vote @NDNV_official
North Dakota claims a rich cultural history of Indigenous people yet we face so many challenges when it comes to voting. Since 2013 our communities have faced several attempts to stifle the Native vote.
Voter ID laws, for example, have caused sever challenges for Native voters. Lack of post offices and address systems of reservations make Voter ID laws particularly damaging, says Donaghy
She notes the biggest challenge is making contact with rural Native voters. In 2021, our state legislature proposed 21 bills to change voting laws because of the conspiracy theories floating around the country re voter fraud.
Again, the redistricting process in North Dakota has also been carried out in a way that suggests intentional harm to Native American communities.
"We have a record number of Native Americans on the ballot this year," says Donaghy, pointing to her org's efforts to secure Native interests and protect their vote.
We have seen blatant attacks on our voters by poll watchers, she adds. Racism, intimidation, threats to close polls... we want to make sure we have a friendly face at the polls to answer questions should problems arise.
There is only one polling place per county in N. Dakota, and no polling station on the reservations are offering early voting, explains Donaghy
N Dakota has also prided itself on making voting very easy, and it's only in the last decade this has shifted. Is this shift because of the fear that Native Americans and other groups are winning?
"I would assume that yeah," says Donaghy
Trahant refers to Legislative candidate Ruth Buffalo as one of the "hardest working" ever. Here's her page: ndlegis.gov/biography/ruth…
When it comes to redistricting, too often we see an unwillingness to allow Native Americans a seat at the table, says Jacqueline De Leon of @NDNrights
We are at three quarters of 1% in terms of total representation, notes @TrahantReports. "We are definitely underrepresented," De Leon says.
We're now turning to Alaska and Nicole Borromeo of Alaska Federation of Natives. @NativeFed
The only way I became an expert mapper was by doing it, says Borromeo. I approached redistricting as a full time job.
Borromeo drafted all of Alaska's 40 districts, working up to 10hrs a day for a month, and then brought these maps all over the state so ppl have an opp to see the maps.
Borromeo was an aggressive advocate to ensure community buy-in and transparency for the proposed maps.
While redistricting is "challenging, it's not perfect... In the end we adopted a very fair house map," says Borromeo. Her map was adopted in the end, and it is neither friendly to Dems or the GOP.
"We were happy with the process... but this is when things went off the tracks," says Borromeo, when efforts were made to dilute minority votes by cramming one district into a larger, mostly white district. "This set off a lot of fireworks."
Borromeo says she and her peers did not have the votes to stop this partisan gerrymander. "You can't expand anyone's voting power. That is not our charge. It is unconstitutional."
A later ruling found violations of the state constitution. Proponents of the gerrymander appealed to SCOTUS, which denied the appeal, leading to the first case law ruling partisan gerrymandering violates Alaska's state constitution.
A final question to speakers. What is your hope for the Native vote?
The Native vote has the potential to swing elections, and that there is an active battle to stymie these votes, says De Leon. If you have a problem voting, contact @NDNrights "We are in a battle now for fair representation and the resources we all deserve."
"I am looking forward to a strong Native turnout," says Beetso. "Whatever you are, Repub or Dem, it shouldn't be a burden to vote."
My hope for this year is to have a record Native vote turnout this election. It doesn't matter who you vote for or how you vote, just vote, says Nicole Donaghy of @NDNV_official
Thanks to all our speakers today for this fascinating and critical discussion on the Native vote. Visit ethnicmediaservices.org for follow-up reporting on this and past briefings.
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