The annual Navajo rodeo at Window Rock, Arizona
Posted on 09/12/2004 5:29:39 PM PDT by MadIvan
Navajo maidens lining up for the annual beauty pageant, the sheriff of the local Apache County signing up deputies for the fight against drugs and a doom-laden white preacher handing out free Gideon bibles. At first glance, the annual Navajo rodeo looks much as it has done for decades.
High up in the mountains of Arizona, this is the largest annual gathering of American Indians, or Native Americans as they are now known. And it is a rare chance to get a whiff of the old West. Ten-gallon hats, cowboy boots and a swagger remain de rigeur for the Navajo male.
But a closer look suggests something is changing. After decades on the political margins, America's 4.1 million Indians are being wooed and motivated to vote as never before as Republicans and Democrats realise they may hold the balance of power in two or three swing states.
Alongside the paddock where young women in bloody aprons were competing to butcher sheep in their quest to become Miss Navajo Nation 2004, stood two mock polling booths under signs saying "Get Out the Vote". In pride of place in the main hall was a stand for Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign.
The new drive to register Indians for November's presidential election comes in the wake of two eye-catching races in 2000 and 2002 when an above-average Indian turnout decided congressional elections in South Dakota, home of the Sioux, and Washington.
Patti Dimitriou, a Navajo, runs "Be My Voice", a non-partisan initiative to raise the Navajos' turnout of barely a third at presidential elections to the national average of about 50 per cent. She feels the Indians' legacy of decades of embitterment over their brutal treatment by the United States may be ebbing as they become more educated and want to be involved in their country's political life.
 Joe Shirley: endorsement |
No tribe is more worth courting than the 260,000 Navajos, the largest Indian community in North America. This was one of the first of the great western tribes to be overcome by the United States. The Navajo Nation reservation extends across three states - Arizona, New Mexico and Utah - and could decide the result in the former two, in particular New Mexico, which President George W Bush lost by 366 votes (or 0.06 percent) in 2000.
Higher turnout should boost the Democrats who traditionally win 80 per cent of the Indian vote. They are heartened by the support of Joe Shirley, the president of the Navajo Nation, who recently endorsed Mr Kerry.
With his black be-feathered hat, black boots, giant turquoise ring and black waistcoat he looks every inch an old-fashioned Indian leader. He intends to do all he can to get Navajos to the polls.
"I think they'll really turn out. And I'll do everything I can to make it so," he said. "And definitely it could affect the result. I'm looking for up to 80 to 85 per cent turnout. We're trying to get 100,000 registered and we've already got 93,000."
He will be helped by the fact that this year, for the first time, the tribal election is being held on the same day as the presidential election - there is usually a far higher turnout, close to 60 per cent, for tribal elections.
Mr Shirley dismissed the theory that historical, social and cultural barriers had contributed to the low turnout among Indians, who were only granted the vote after the Second World War. "We're just like everyone else out there, suffering from apathy, ignorance and a lack of transportation. I don't think we are any different."
Since the 1960s and President Lyndon Johnson's welfare reforms, the Navajo and other tribes have been solidly Democrat. But that support cannot be taken for granted. The pro-Life message and military label of the Republicans resonate well among Indians, who have a higher rate of enlistment in the armed forces than any other population group.
"The majority are Democrats because of their traditional message of caring for the community, but there are more Republicans now," said Leila Help-Tulley, a local Get out the Vote organiser, who shudders to recall how, only 30 years ago, she was still barred from speaking her native tongue.
"The Republican message of self-sufficiency has a resonance."
No one is more aware of this than Rick Ranzi, the local Republican congressman, who toured the rodeo this weekend. At the coronation of Miss Navajo Nation he had pride of place in the centre of the packed rodeo ground, even re-enacting an old-fashioned way of adjudicating the winner by holding a cowboy hat over the head of the participants and gauging the winner on the strength of applause from the crowd.
"This is huge for me," he said. "I represent more Native Americans than anyone else in Congress. The Navajo tradition is not to vote Republican. But we've opened the first ever congressional office for the Navajo Nation."
As a "dust devil" choked the rodeo ground in dirt, Rodger Dahozy, a "grazer" in the cowboy uniform of blue jeans, boots and hat, said he would vote against the grain, for Mr Bush. "We need to finish the war. We can't leave it undone."
He added that many young Indians wanted to vote because of the war, which had stirred up patriotic feelings.
Back at the "Be My Voice" voter registration booth, however, business was slow. "This could be a historical thing," said Wilson Deschine, a volunteer. "When the constitution was written we were enemies. The truth is a lot of people register - and then don't vote."
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Honestly, having grown up near that reservation, I have 2 comments:
1) I doubt they will be the deciding factor
2) Given the corruption of the tribal government, we had better hope they aren't the deciding factor in the election.
The issue that has caused the biggest stir amoung Oklahoma tribes is gay marriage...they're very much opposed and aren't happy with Kerry's position (whatever that is).
Did John Kerry annouce that his full name is John Forbes "Little feather Bisonhead" Kerry yet? "I am part Native American! Yes it`s true! I AM REPORTING FOR DUTY!"
Looks like the Congressman is choosing the right winner to me.
We toured the Taos Pueblo this summer. Our guide was very interesting and put the liberals on our tour in their place when they voiced lame brain PC propaganda about how Indians must view things. We thanked her specifically for that after the tour.
Excellent!
Shirley he's kidding. He'll have to get rid of the Texan hat and put on a Massatwoshits bonnette to show he has now become one of those "girlie men".
Thank you Ivan! I tried getting onto Right Goths today? anything going on?
Actually, Custer was a Democrat, but at Little Big Horn, the Indians weren't checking party affilation.
10,000 dead Indians have kept Daschle in office for many years now.
Exactly! They'll know him soon enough when he shows up wearing his (dia)Tribe outfit and addresses the Navajo Nation with the famous greeting: "How...(much)...
1) I doubt they will be the deciding factor
2) Given the corruption of the tribal government, we had better hope they aren't the deciding factor in the election.
Where did you live? I grew up close to the Navajo Reservation, in Gallup, NM. In fact, I only live about 20 miles from Window Rock, AZ; which is where the fair/rodeo just took place.
Kerry showed up for the Inter tribal Indian Ceremonial in August, and was allowed to speak to the crowd, which was probably due to my ex-RAT-husband, who is a local politician, and a 'big shot' with the Ceremonial. Kerry got a lot of local press coverage too, and will probably carry the Indian vote.
There's no doubt in my mind that there are hundreds of Indians that are registered to vote who will never in their life cast a vote. Expect a lot of voter fraud.
""Be My Voice", a non-partisan initiative to raise the Navajos' turnout "
Maybe "Be My Voice" (for Navajos) is non-partisan.
I would be surprised.
It is in the pattern of other Democratic grass roots organizations:
"Rock the Vote" (21-25 year olds),
"Vote Dammit" (inner city)
(the money flow would be an indicator).
I saw the headline..thought it was about the SDak senate race..
"Our guide was very interesting and put the liberals on our tour in their place when they voiced lame brain PC propaganda about how Indians must view things."
LOL, your story reminds me of the UN tour I took with my kid years ago, where our rathered flustered Chinese tour guide had to remind one woman that "The UN is a voluntary organization, it is not the World Government!". The tourist was demanding to know why something wasn't being done about Bosnia, etc.
Grew up in Farmington.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.