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The Native Voice: On the trail with Sen. Obama
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Filed Under: Politics


The day on the campaign trail started off with a trip to a high school in Billings, Montana, where Sen. Barack Obama gave a speech focusing on national and foreign policy. Afterwards, he held a town hall-style meeting and took questions from the crowd. Obama called on a young Native man, who asked what he would do to help "Indian Country and the tribes" with a host of different issues.

Obama spoke for over three minutes on a variety of issues, including honoring treaties, respecting tribal sovereignty and the government-to-government relationship, and fixing the Indian health system. He also expressed his support for a bill to create a National Native American Heritage Day, slated to be the day after Thanksgiving. The goals of the initiative include working with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian to develop and distribute Native curriculum to public schools nationwide.

Next on the schedule was a trip to Crow Agency, on the Crow Reservation, where representatives from seven Montana tribes and other visiting tribal leaders gathered for an outdoor rally at the Apsáalooke Veterans Park near the Little Bighorn Battlefield. The Crow Game, Fish and Parks Department estimated the total attendance to be over 4,000 people, including tribal members and others from surrounding communities.

Obama was introduced by Robert Old Horn and the Black Eagle family, who had held an adoption ceremony for the candidate, giving him the family name "Obama Black Eagle," and a Crow name that translates to "One who helps all the people across the land."

Crow Tribe Chairman Carl Venne introduced Obama, presenting him with gifts for his "wives and daughters." "I only actually have one wife," Obama joked. "I can come home with more family, but not with more wives." The crowd laughed and a few people shouted out, "We love you, Obama!"

After thanking the tribe for the gifts, Obama reflected on the historic wrongs inflicted on Indian Country by the United States. He stated that he would insist that the federal government would honor treaty obligations, uphold the sovereign relationship, fix the inefficient Bureau of Indian Affairs, fully fund the Indian Health Service and investigate and fix the broken trust fund. Obama said he would not treat tribes as a singular entity, noting that "One size, one fix does not fit all" when it comes to tribal issues.

He ended his speech with a promise to return to Crow country and a recognition of the responsibility that came along with his adoption into the tribe. "I am a member of the family now," he said.

Before his visit to Montana, Obama met with at least 50 tribal leaders in a closed-door meeting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Friday, May 16. The meeting was hosted by former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle, who serves as the national co-chairman of Obama's campaign.

All content, including photography, is copyright Native Voice Media, Inc., owned by Frank King and Lise King.

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