Opinion

Kevin Abourezk: Neglecting Indian voters

Friday, January 11, 2008

Ed. Note: Sen. John Edwards (D-North Carolina) supported recognition for the Lumbee Tribe. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-New York) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) skipped the Prez on the Rez Democratic presidential debate.

"In Iowa and New Hampshire this week, voters began the momentous process of picking nominees for president.

As the list of leading contenders narrows, now is a good time to examine where the leading presidential candidates stand on issues of interest to Native people.

To that end, yours truly scoured the Internet to find any information about where those top candidates stand on Native issues. I certainly don't consider this a comprehensive examination of this topic, and I welcome any information about what candidates have said about Indians.

First, who do I consider the leading candidates? Based on results from the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary: Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards for the Democrats; Sen. John McCain, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republicans.

Here's my executive summary:

This campaign season, Clinton is the only leading candidate of either party who appears to have addressed Native issues in any significant manner. Speaking via satellite to those gathered Nov. 17 for the National Congress of American Indians' annual convention in Denver, Clinton expressed support for a host of Native issues.

Beyond that, Obama is the only other candidate who appears to be expressing support for Native issues (albeit through his Web site). None of the Republican candidates, save for McCain during his 2000 race for the Republican nomination, have even come close to addressing Native issues."

Get the Story:
Kevin Abourezk: A Season of Neglect for Native People (RezNet News 11/2007)