"Leroy Not Afraid spoke into a microphone while Lawrence �Pete� Big Hair stood nearby - both are candidates for Big Horn County justice of the peace and sheriff, respectively - to remind tribal citizens to vote on Tuesday.

�We have goals for this community � to help the outlying regions of the county, to serve the members of all nations,� said Not Afraid. �The nations we serve here are the nations of the Northern Cheyenne people and the Crow people.�

Not Afraid said he's running for office to help tribes continue their political expansion in Rosebud and Big Horn counties in southeastern Montana, where Native people make up the majority of county voters. Yet historically, the tribes have had little representation in elected offices.

But that's changing.

Kalyn Free, founder and president of INDN's List, said Native people across the country are becoming more involved in politics, running for federal, state, county and city offices. She founded the Oklahoma-based INDN's List to support a growing contingent of Indian Democrats running for office.

This year's elections find INDN's List supporting 22 candidates in 10 states. Still, much work needs to be done. Many Native voters remain apathetic about going to the polls, but Free believes that's because Indians haven't been truly represented in the political process.

Full representation comes only when Natives are involved, she said, which is why she founded INDN's List. Today, she's encouraging others to mobilize Native voters everywhere to support Indian candidates.

�Let's get out and vote and show them we do care,� said Ed Brownshield, a North Dakota House District 23 candidate. More than half his district's voters are Native, yet only 4 percent voted in the last election."

Get the Story:
Jodi Rave: Native leaders hope election participation keeps growing (The Missoulian 11/2)

Relevant Links:
Jodi Rave - http://www.missoulian.com/jodirave

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