Tribal leaders endorse Gorton foe

FROM THE ARCHIVE

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AUGUST 1, 2000

Twelve tribes in Washington state have endorsed Maria Cantwell, Senator Slade Gorton's challenger in the upcoming election.

Cantwell is a former Washington state legislator as well as a former Representative. She announced her candidacy in May.

"We are united to defeat Slade Gorton, and united behind Maria Cantwell," said Ron Allen, chair of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe and Vice President of the National Congress of American Indians. "Maria has made it clear that she will not stand for the intolerance of the state Republican Party, and for that we enthusiastically support her candidacy."

In a recent column in The Seattle Times, Allen, himself a Republican, blasted the state party for a resolution calling for the termination of "non-republican" tribal governments. He also took the occasion to speak out against Gorton.

"The importance of increasing public awareness of the issues that directly impact Indian people is perhaps best illustrated by the actions of U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton," wrote Allen. "The history of Sen. Gorton's actions against Indian people is renown."

From the treaty rights battles in which tribes were successful to legislation designed to strip tribes of their sovereign immunity, many Native Americans are increasingly speaking out against Gorton's Indian policy record. Many also agree with Allen's portrayal of Gorton as having a "personal mission against Indian Country."

Gorton also raises eyebrows due to his position on Capitol Hill. Gorton sits on the influential Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and is the Chair of the Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations, which oversees funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

These positions, critics say, allow Gorton to punish tribes. But some Gorton supporters say he has done the opposite and instead works to benefit tribes.

Tom Keefe, a Democratic candidate for Congress, says tribal leaders are unfairly criticizing Gorton. He recently wrote that movements like the First American Education Project (FAEP), which Allen leads, are wasting money fighting Gorton.

"[T]ribes pooling their resources together in an effort to defeat a senator is a recipe for disaster," wrote Keefe in The Seattle Times. "What if the tribes pour millions of dollars into the campaign and Sen. Gorton wins re-election?"

Some of that money will go to television advertisements, which the FAEP will soon begin running, attacking Gorton's record. But the ads will not focus on Indian policy, say project leaders, but instead on issues common to all Americans, including health care, education, and the environment.

Besides the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, the other tribes endorsing Cantwell are the Quinault, Nisqually, Port Gamble, Tulalip, Sauk-Suiattle, Quileute, Lower Elwah, Squaxin Island, Shoalwater Bay, Upper Skagit, and Kalispell.

There are 28 federally recognized tribes in Washington.

Relevant Links:
Maria Cantwell, Election site - www.cantwell2000.com
Slade Gorton, Election site - www.slade2000.com
First American Education Project - www.first-americans.net
Senator Slade Gorton, US Senate - www.senate.gov/~gorton
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs - www.senate.gov/~scia
Senate Committee on Appropriations - www.senate.gov/~appropriations