TRANSCRIPT: James Crawford, Chairman of Forest County Potawatomi Community, at Republican Convention

Indianz.Com > News > TRANSCRIPT: James Crawford, Chairman of Forest County Potawatomi Community, at Republican Convention

Forest County Potawatomi Community Chairman James Crawford walks on stage at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to deliver remarks at the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024. Screenshot from RNC

James Crawford, Chairman of Forest County Potawatomi Community, at Republican Convention

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Indianz.Com

The following is a transcript of remarks delivered by James Crawford, the chairman of Forest County Potawatomi Community, at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 16, 2024.

Hello everyone and hello Wisconsin!

Good evening. I am James Crawford, the chairman of the Forest County Potawatomi Community. I’d like to welcome all of you to not only Milwaukee, but also to an area of the state that is part of the homeland of the Potawatomi people.

Milwaukee is a particularly special place for Potawatomi. It was once home to several Potawatomi villages, including a village close to where we sit today. Our ancestors occupied these lands for hundreds of years, fishing area rivers and lakes, hunting the land, tapping maple tree groves for sugar, and harvesting crops and fields each fall.

The Potawatomi connection to Milwaukee continues. Today, our tribe is part of what makes Milwaukee a great place to live and work.

And while we are best known for entertainment and tourism, our tribe is also a part of the fabric of this community through our construction, technology, and real estate business ventures and the charitable work our foundation does with community nonprofits. Thank you.

Potawatomi are just one of 11 tribes in Wisconsin, and one of 574 in the United States. Even though each tribe is unique with their own histories, cultures, and distinct challenges and opportunities, the tribes still share many commonalities — especially a desire and need to keep our people safe.

And right now, Native people are facing real threats to ensure our safety. The growing use and abuse of illegal drugs are claiming countless lives on reservations across this country.

And Native American women and girls continue to be exploited, trafficked, and subjected to violence at reprehensible levels. So tonight’s theme, make America safe again, is especially important for us.

I look forward to working with everyone here to make America safe again, to help us preserve, protect, and enhance our future generations. Migwetch and God bless America. Thank you.

VIDEO: James Crawford, Chairman of Forest County Potawatomi Community, at Republican Convention

James Crawford, the chairman of Forest County Potawatomi Community, addresses the Republican National Convention.

Indianz.Com

AUDIO: James Crawford, Chairman of Forest County Potawatomi Community, at Republican Convention

James Crawford, the chairman of Forest County Potawatomi Community, addresses the Republican National Convention.

Indianz.Com