"It’s true that Indians have the oldest known versions of confederate governments. The American system is reputed to be modeled upon it (e.g. Articles of Confederation). But while we have the freedom to opt out of voting in contemporary elections, we are forsaking our tribal elections as well.

I hear that a turnout of ten percent of registered tribal voters in an election is off-the-charts. I am told that the national voting average is eight percent of the population. Remarkable. In a recent Wichita tribal election, a grand total of 270-plus voters turned out to pick a chairman (this qualifies as near phenomenal with just over 2,500 members). Comparatively, OKs largest tribe, the Cherokee Nation, garnered just over 15,000 voters (of a reported 300,000 citizens) for the same type of election. The outcome did not grab me so much as the numbers did. This roughly equates to about five percent of their total populace.

This indicates we have well learned the lesson of voter apathy set before us by the dominant society. It’s a puzzle, though. Tribal leaders can make a bigger imprint on our everyday lives than our local officials but most opt to not choose.

This says a lot about what apathy is: absence or suppression of passion, emotion or excitement. Remedying this is a complex issue. We should consider that tribal voter apathy is a nonpartisan issue. Our government systems are not based on an electoral college which is why the popular vote remains integral. Here, blood degrees are inconsequential."

Get the Story:
S.E. RUCKMAN: Voter apathy and forsaking tribal elections (The Native American Times 6/30)

Related Stories:
S.E. Ruckman: Oklahoma tribes leading way on land-into-trust (6/22