Spirit Lake officials inspecting address rolls
Today’s New York Times reports a real, immediate, and actual attack on every Native American resident of North Dakota.
This is yet another example of the GOP using the non-existent “issue” of voter fraud to disenfranchise targeted minorities. They used their majority in the state legislature to punish Native Americans for daring to support a Democrat, Heidi Heitkamp, in 2012.
Most Native Americans in North Dakota live on reservations without street signs or house numbers. Residents say “We know our communities based off our communities. We know ‘hey, that’s so-and-so’s house; you go two houses down and that’s the correct place you need to be.’ ”
Heidi Heitkamp is a Democrat elected to the Senate in 2012 with a margin of fewer than 3,000 votes. Shortly afterwards, the GOP-dominated (and white) state legislature passed voterID legislation that says that a residential address is required to vote. There are at least 30,000 Native American residents of North Dakota, most of whom did not have the required address when the law was passed. The Supreme Court allowed the law to stand earlier this month.
I can recall NO discussion of this issue anywhere here at BMG, even though it’s been unfolding for years. I wonder why the leaders of the Cherokee Nation, who so eagerly attacked Elizabeth Warren for releasing the results of her DNA test, are so quiet about this far more egregious attack on Native Americans.
In my view, the distinction between those who, like Elizabeth Warren, fight vigorously to support, defend, and encourage Native American communities and those who like Donald Trump and the entire GOP, attack, disparage, and humiliate them is crystal clear and easy to see.
If my reaction is exposing my “white privilege”, than so be it. As far as I’m concerned, this story reveals the good guys and the bad guys. I wonder if the Cherokee Nation is paying attention.
fredrichlariccia says
“The way to kill a man or a nation is to cut off his dreams, the way the whites are taking care of the Indians: killing their dreams, their magic, their familiar spirits.” William S. Burroughs
jconway says
I cited this issue repeatedly in the other thread about this topic. It’s exactly the kind of issue where Warrens leadership
would make a positive impact. Flying there and drawing attention to this issue while giving some of her war chest to the Heitkamp campaign to fight it would have been a great way to make a difference for the communities impacted by this voter suppression.
SomervilleTom says
@ editors: I apparently had to approve this comment from my dashboard in order for it appear.
jconway says
Yeah I wrote a swear in the original piece (a variation on cow manure) which triggered the moderation hold. Happens on my posts as well, and I do appreciate you releasing it even if it was somewhat critical of your piece. I found the OP to be somewhat directed toward my prior criticism and misleading about my priorities, seeing as I repeatedly cited this issue and Warrens silence on it as major part of my criticism of her DNA rollout. My initial comment was angry and not productive. I hope my edited one and this one can help us find common ground.
I voted for the Senator today and she has my full support for re-election. After the midterms, I am planning a write up favorably comparing her economic policy agenda to that of Bernie Sanders. This has nothing to do with my personal feelings about Senator Warren whom I still hold in high regard.
It has everything to do with the way progressives dismissed a marginalized group for disagreeing with one of its candidates in a way I found problematic. It also has to do with the way she has consistently mishandled this issue both morally and politically. I think why the Cherokee tribes are pissed matters and I think if she made a commitment to all Native Americans to champion their civil rights and economic advancement she should follow through with it. I do not see her doing that on this or any other issue affecting that community, and it disappoints me.
SomervilleTom says
Perhaps. Did any of those Native American leaders invite her? Are we sure that they would welcome her or her money?
I’m reminded of the complaints about the way Ms. Clinton handled or mishandled outreach to minority communities in the 2016 campaign. Maybe Ms. Warren (and Ms. Clinton in 2016) blundered by not doing this. Whatever mistakes were made are surely minor in comparison to the impact of putting the other candidate in office.
The fact remains that the flagrant suppression of tens of thousands of Native American votes in North Dakota by the GOP is surely FAR more egregious than whatever hard feelings arose from her decision to publish her DNA test results.
Was the campaign of Ms. Heitkamp helped or hurt by the widely-publicized Cherokee Nation attacks on Ms. Warren?
jconway says
The nations largest tribal civil rights organization invited her back in a February and she gave a very well received speech I’ve also repeatedly cited. One where she promised to be a drum major on Native issues.
To my knowledge, her office and Senate campaign have been entirely silent on this matter. Her $15 million warchest could fund the last minute legal challenges needed to restore these rights. Her vocal allyship with the Dakotans would shed a national spotlight on the issue as Oprah has with Stacey Abrams and the similar voting rights violations in Georgia.
Heitkamp, to her credit, risked her career by voting against Kavanaugh and has been a drum major on native issues, including this one. I believe both she and the communities affected by this decision have better things to do than rehash the Warren heritage question.
The two issues are entirely unrelated. The community is not a monolith. This tribe has nothing to do with the tribes critical of Senator Warren, and even if they were critical, it would not legitimize a right wing voter suppression campaign.
It is widely believed these tribes are Democratic leaning, which is why there votes are being actively suppressed by Republicans to help Republicans. I agree it is improper to equate the two issues. One is a massive civil rights violation and the other is a true nothing burger. The entire reason I introduced this issue into my criticism is because she should totally be talking about this issue! And leading on it! That’s what Presidents do, and if she wants to be one, that’s what she should do.
Christopher says
Never been a fan of the “but she didn’t…” complaints against a friend. I don’t believe MA is currently a big Native state so I’m not super surprised it’s not top priority.