{"id":40439,"date":"2024-09-05T10:00:17","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T14:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=40439"},"modified":"2024-09-05T10:18:37","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T14:18:37","slug":"daily-montanan-tribal-leaders-call-for-apology-and-action-from-republican-candidate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/09\/05\/daily-montanan-tribal-leaders-call-for-apology-and-action-from-republican-candidate\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Montanan: Tribal leaders call for apology and action from Republican candidate"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Tim<\/a>
Amid silence over his remarks about Native people, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy continues to post updates from the campaign trail, including a stop in Forsyth, Montana, on September 2, 2024. Photo: Tim Sheehy for Montana<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
Tribal leaders, legislators respond to Sheehy recordings<\/div>\r\n
Lawmakers: Sheehy\u2019s comments \u2018wrong, derogatory, hurtful\u2019<\/div>\r\n
Thursday, September 5, 2024<\/div>\r\n
By Darrell Ehrlick, Daily Montanan<\/a> <\/div>\r\n

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U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy isn\u2019t saying much about two recent recordings of him<\/a> in which he characterizes members of the Crow Tribe as being drunk by 8 in the morning, or throwing beer cans at him during a parade.<\/p>

When the recordings first surfaced, as reported by the Char-Koosta News, the official publication of the Flathead Indian Reservation, the Daily Montanan reached out the Sheehy campaign.<\/p>

It did not respond.<\/p>

Now, after a barrage of media coverage, local, state and national, Sheehy\u2019s camp is still not commenting, after the Daily Montanan reached out again on Wednesday.<\/p>

But tribal leaders are, and they told the Daily Montanan that it will take more than an apology to make amends in Montana\u2019s Indian Country, home to seven reservations and 12 tribes.<\/p>

Tom Rodgers, known as One-Who-Rides-His-Horse-East and an enrolled Blackfeet tribal member, works with the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, a large organization that represents a number of tribes throughout the West, including the Crow Nation. He said that comments like those Sheehy is heard making will take more than just an apology.<\/p>

\u201cEchoing the phenomenal writer Maya Angelou who said, \u2018When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time,\u2019 Mr. Sheehy will be judged by how well he walks through the fire and so far he has failed miserably,\u201d Rodgers said.<\/p>

The Montana American Indian Caucus, which consists of three state senators and five state representatives, condemned the remarks in a letter obtained by the Daily Montanan.<\/p>

\u201cThe Montana American Indian Caucus cannot express how let down we are by your remarks, where we can hear you disparaging the Crow Nation,\u201d a letter sent to Sheehy\u2019s office said. \u201cYour words perpetuate the damaging and racist stereotype of \u2018the drunken Indian.\u2019 This stereotype, and others like it, hurts our young people and contributes to limitation on their opportunity to succeed. It also highlights how important it is that we continue to provide Indian Education for All to help end these kinds of anti-Indian prejudices in Montana.\u201d<\/p>

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Members of the MAIC <\/h4>\t<\/strong><\/p>

Here are the members of the Montana American Indian Caucus<\/em><\/p>

Sen. Susan Webber, D-Browning
Sen. Mike Fox, D-Hays
Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula
Rep. Tyson Running Wolf, D-Browning
Rep. Sharon Stewart Peregoy, D-Crow Agency
Rep. Donovan Hawk, D-Butte
Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder
Rep. Frank Smith, D-Poplar<\/p>

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Rodgers said that it\u2019s not enough for tribal leaders and Native American people to hear an apology, they must see action.<\/p>

\u201cWords are hollow. We will judge by action,\u201d Rodgers said. \u201cMr. Sheehy has a journey of life totally disconnected from the poorest people in the U.S. Only by living with us and experiencing a degree of poverty and hopelessness will he truly understand us.\u201d<\/p>

During two campaign stops in November, Sheehy appeared to make similar comments about the Crow people.<\/p>

The first event was in Shelby on November 6, 2023 when he appears to tell the crowd:<\/p>

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