"One way to judge candidates for statewide office is to see what they say on their own websites and then see where they go.

Is Indian country mentioned? Are Native American issues even on the radar?

North Dakotans have had this kind of attention for a long time. Former Senator Byron Dorgan was chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. After he left office, he established the Center for Native American Youth. Its mission is to improve “the health, safety and overall well-being of Native American youth through communication, policy development and advocacy.”

Dorgan’s successor, John Hoeven, a Republican, maintains that connection. Earlier this month he sponsored a tribal leaders’ forum to talk about issues impacting Indian country.

And, in that same spirit, Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat running for the Senate, is reaching out to Indian country. She appointed Diane Johnson, a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes and a lawyer, to her campaign staff. Heitkamp is a former attorney general and tax commissioner."

Get the Story:
North Dakota Candidate Reaches Out to Native American Voters (Indian Country Today 9/18)

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