Harris-Walz campaign kicks off a nationwide effort to reach Native voters
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The Harris-Walz campaign kicked off a nationwide effort to earn the votes of Native Americans.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan spoke Wednesday at the launch of “Native Americans for Harris-Walz,” a new effort by the campaign to reach out to Native American voters. The midday event held was held at the Mystic Lake Event Center, a complex owned by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.
A key issue raised by Flanagan and others who spoke at the event was the protection of women from violence, and the protection of Indigenous women and girls, in particular.
“We’ve been crystal clear that our women are sacred, and worth protecting,” said Flanagan.
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Flanagan is a citizen of the White Earth Nation, a tribal nation in the northwestern part of the state. She was elected alongside Gov. Tim Walz in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
Tribal leaders from across the country showed their support for the democratic ticket.
Tribal chair of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, Mark Macarro touted Walz’s record on tribal-state relations in Minnesota.
“In Minnesota Governor Walz has set a precedent by visiting all 11 tribal nations and signing legislation to codify government to government relations,” said Macarro.
In 2021, Walz signed legislation mandating state agencies consult with tribal nations on issues affecting tribes across the state and requiring state employees to attend training on how to improve relations with tribal nations.
A 2020 report to the Minnesota Legislature found that “although American Indian women and girls made up just 1 percent of the state’s population from 2010 through 2018, 8 percent of all murdered women and girls in Minnesota were American Indian.”
A co-author of that report, Nicole Matthews, attended the event in support of the Harris-Walz ticket. Matthews is the executive director of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition.
Matthews said she recently returned from an event at the White House where she had been invited by President Joe Biden to speak to the successes of the Violence Against Women Act, federal legislation responding to domestic violence and sexual assault.
Matthews said she wants to see work on Violence Against Women Act continue under a Harris administration.
“I’m very hopeful.” said Matthews.
In 2020, then-President Donald Trump opened a cold case task force to investigate unsolved cases involving Indigenous women and girls who are missing or murdered. Ivanka Trump, then serving as her an advisor to her father, led the initiative.
‘She came prepared’
Native American civic leaders from across the Midwest attended in support of the Harris-Walz ticket.
Voting rights organizer Prairie Rose Seminole drove from North Dakota to attend the event. Rose, a citizen of the Three Affiliated Tribes in North Dakota, said she’s been a supporter of Harris from when she and other Native American voting rights advocates met with her at the White House several years ago.
Seminole said she arrived at the meeting expecting to educate Harris on voting rights issues facing Native Americans.
“We came prepared to do ‘Indian 101’ and we didn’t have to do that,” said Seminole. “She came prepared.”
During the kick-off of the event, Richard Milda, donned his traditional dance regalia alongside others and led a round dance. Milda, a citizen of the Gila River Indian Community, has worked on domestic violence issues.
“I believe in their message,” said Milda.
Milda said he hopes to see Native American treaty rights front and center should Harris and Walz be elected.
“We’re not in the backyard. We’re in the front yard.” said Milda. “Land, hunting, fishing, wild rice gathering and all of those issues are very important.”
Organizers for the Harris-Walz campaign say hosting events in Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin are a priority.
Organizers will host two events in New Mexico starting with an event Wednesday with the All Pueblo Council of Governors. Friday, the campaign will visit the Northern Navajo Nation Fair.