After historic rallies in Oregon and Montana this week, followed by another primary victory, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) was poised to claim the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday.

Obama won the Oregon primary by a large margin yesterday. Although Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-New York) won the Kentucky primary, she won't be able to secure enough delegates to win the nomination, according to Obama's campaign.

The Native Voice traveled with Obama's campaign to Des Moines, Iowa, where the candidate spoke about his commanding lead last night. During the flight, communications director Robert Gibbs and strategist David Axelrod announced that Obama will return to South Dakota before the state's primary on June 3.

Obama was in South Dakota last Friday, May 16. In Sioux Falls, he took part in a closed-door meeting with more than 50 tribal leaders and was honored a painted Lakota buffalo chief's robe.

The photo shows Rodney Bordeaux, the president of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe on the right, and Chief Arvol Looking Horse, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, on the left. Robert Moore, a Rosebud council member, is visible behind the men.

The schedule for Obama's next visit to South Dakota has not been finalized. But the assumption is that he will visit the western part of the state -- probably Rapid City -- since he held events in Watertown and Sioux Falls, in the eastern part, last week

Gibbs and Axelrod said the visit shows Obama values the votes in South Dakota. Along with Montana, where Obama held a rally on the Crow Reservation, South Dakota is the last primary of the Democratic campaign.

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

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The Native Voice: On the trail with Sen. Obama in Montana(5/20)
The Native Voice: On the trail with Sen. Obama in Oregon (5/19)