Char-Koosta News: Republican candidate for U.S. Senate talked about ‘drunk’ Indians

Tim Sheehy, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Montana, has repeatedly linked Native people to alcohol while campaigning, according to audio obtained by Char-Koosta News on August 29, 2024.

The newspaper, which is owned and operated by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, published four audio clips that it said were recorded at events across the state. In his remarks, Sheehy talked of his connections to the Crow Reservation, where he does business and where he campaigned at Crow Fair, the annual celebration of the Crow Tribe.

"My ranching partner and one of my really good friends is Turk Stovall. He's a Crow Indian. We ranch together on the Crow Rez," Sheehy said at a campaign fundraiser that took place in Shelby last November, Char-Koosta News reported.

"So I'm pretty involved down there," Sheehy continued. "Rode through their Crow Rez, their annual Crow Fair Parade this year and I rope and brand with them every year when I'm down there."

"Great way to bond with all the Indians -- while they're drunk at 8am and you're roping together," Sheehy said with a laugh.

At another event that Char-Koosta News said took place in Hamilton last November, Sheehy brought up his participation in Crow Fair, and again made references to alcohol.

"Sx weeks after our launch, one of the first things I did was I strapped a Sheehy sign to a horse and rode through the Crow Rez parade," Sheehy said. "And if you know a tough crowd, you want to go to Crow Rez."

As people in the audience can be heard laughing, Sheehy added: "Now, they let you know whether they like you or not. There's Coors Light cans flying by your head as you're riding by."

Sheehy then voiced the imaginary thoughts of an imaginary Native person and suggested that he earned the "respect" of people at Crow Fair because he didn't react negatively when items were supposedly thrown at him. 

"Man, I threw a beer can at his head and he didn't even flinch," Sheehy imagined the imaginary Native person thinking.

Sheehy repeated the claim about beer cans being thrown at him on the Crow Reservation at two more campaign events, Char-Koosta News reported. He linked the beer can incidents to roping and to Crow Fair.

"If you want a tough crowd when you're roping, rope on the Crow Rez, you know?" Sheehy said at an event in Superior. "You miss that double-heel shot and there's a Coors Light can on the side of your head."

"And I tell you, if you don't make that double-heel shot on the rez, you know, the Coors Light cans fly on the side of your head," Sheehy said in Helena as people in the audience laughed.

"So, it's a tough crowd," Sheehy continued. "But I hopped on my horse, rode right through their parade, and said, 'Yep, I'm here. I'm a Republican. And I'm on this reservation telling you that I care about your issues. I ranch on your reservation.'"

"A lot of them know me," Sheehy asserted.

The newspaper, which operates independently of the tribal government, said it was "actively reaching out to the Sheehy campaign for comment."

Native News Online, which published a September 2, 2024, story based on the Char-Koosta News audio, also said it contacted Sheehy's campaign. The independently-owned publication said it had not received a response by press time.

Sheehy is hoping to unseat the incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat who serves on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Tester is running for re-election, in what would be his fourth term in office.