Native Voice One Podcast

Red Lake tribal members to take part in caucuses on their reservation

Federal lawsuit proceeds in South Dakota involving Indian child welfare

https://www.nv1.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/nnn030116.mp3

https://nv1-offload-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/20122728/Aspirations.mp3

 

What’s in a campaign promise?

This is Trahant Reports.

Elections are geared so that voters will hear all sorts of promises only to find out later they will never come to be.

There are certainly a lot of promises flying around in the 2016 presidential campaign, promises that have absolutely no chance unless voters elect a new House of Representatives and a new Senate (which is mathematically impossible when only one third of that body is even up for election).

Like it or not the American system of government is designed to change slowly.

So campaigns repeat broad themes. The promises are aspirations, not contracts.

Consider the messaging to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Nearly every candidate promises to uphold treaty rights. Yet that sweeping statement never translates into full funding for, well, say, Indian health. Or even a proposed budget for full funding.

While dozens of federal agencies are funded via automatic spending, programs designed to implement treaties with tribes must go through the appropriations process. That makes it inevitable to spend less on American Indian and Alaska Native patients.

In his first presidential campaign, Barack Obama was both aspirational and practical.

In May 2008 he said:

“Too often Washington has paid lip service to working with tribes. While taking a one size fits all approach working with tribal communities across the nation. That will change when I am President of the United States.” 

That big promise, the aspiration, was impossible and so the president like every other politician in the White House never proposed budgets that would implement treaty obligations.

But Obama was also practical, setting a new standard.

He listened to tribes through a government-to-government discourse, added Indian health to his health care reform ideas, supported tribal criminal jurisdiction, including the Violence Against Women Act. Indeed, the list of practical promises fulfilled could fill an entire column. A perfect record? No. But an extraordinary list of successes that ought to be a basis for what comes next.

That’s where the discussion about 2016 begins.

So far Republicans running are focused on their base and are unlikely to propose either aspirational or practical policies for Indian Country. This is telling. You would think that this week, with the Oklahoma primary, there would at least be an aspirational message from the campaigns.

On the Democratic side both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are detailing what they would do in office.

Their ideas are practical, ranging from executive orders to appointments. That’s good. But we also need big ideas, proposals that could change the future.

I like this idea, how about a candidate who says, “I will fight to have Indian Health funded at the same level that the government spends on health care for its own employees.”

It’s during the campaign when aspirations matter. The practical it can wait.

I'm Mark Trahant reporting.

 

Native American advocates continue to fight Enbridge pipeline project

Officials of overcrowded Alaska Native school ask district for expansion 

https://www.nv1.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/nnn022916.mp3

A federal judge requires a Utah County to redraw election boundaries to include Native American voters.

The Navajo Nation takes a legal stand against the Washington D.C. NFL team name.

A U.S. senator wants to reorganize Indian education oversight.

Minnesota officials recommend moving Capitol building paintings that depict Native Americans in a bad light.

https://www.nv1.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/nnn022616.mp3

A federal judge in New Mexico finalizes a nearly one-billion dollar settlement over underfunded tribal contracts.

The Navajo Nation will steer federal settlement money toward improving reservation water and sewer systems.

A war of words continues after a high school fires its husband-and-wife coaching staff.

https://www.nv1.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/nnn022516.mp3

Tribal history bill fails in committee hearing in South Dakota Legislature 

Tribal leaders discuss self-determination at rebellious law conference

National Congress of American Indians presents leadership awards

https://www.nv1.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/nnn022416.mp3

Report finds increased educational gap between Native and non-Native students

Bill to create process to ban school mascots moves in South Dakota Legislature

Interior Department to offer Indian Affairs Student Leadership Summer Institute

https://www.nv1.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/nnn022316.mp3

Secretary Clinton takes a selfie with a supporter after the Nevada win. Photo source: Clinton Campaign.

https://nv1-offload-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/20122738/ElectionShape.mp3

 

The race for president is starting to take shape. This is Trahant Reports.

No matter which candidate you favor, it’s pretty clear that Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton now have the inside lanes to their party’s nomination. The campaign is now all about delegates and both Trump and Clinton are starting to wrack up sizable leads. Of course they could still be beat, but for that to happen, there has to be a sudden and dramatic shift in the primary elections ahead.

That task is even harder because both parties have rules that favor the candidates who are in the lead right now.

The Republicans have a number of states that are winner take all. Trump’s challengers hope they can win in those states and quickly catch up. But more likely the best shot for his challengers — Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and nominally, at least, Ben Carson — is for Trump to fall short of winning an outright nomination. Then, they could make their case at the Republican Convention and win their bid after a floor vote. If that happens, wow, that will be wild.

Democrats don’t have the same system. Delegates are awarded proportionally. This is where Clinton is building her lead. So even if she loses a state or two, there just won’t be enough delegates for Sanders to pass her. She’s roughly in the same position as Barack Obama was eight years ago.

Clinton looks like a sure bet to win the South Carolina primary and then do well in Southern-dominated Super Tuesday primaries on March 1. On that day eleven states will vote and some 880 delegates will be awarded.

So yes, it’s possible that Trump or Clinton will not win their party’s nomination. But after March 1 the math does not favor any of the challengers.

So where does Indian Country stand on this election? So far the story is mixed. In Iowa, Bernie Sanders won the only reservation community by a whopping margin. But in Nevada it appears several reservation communities were split. Sanders won the Duck Valley Reservation, but lost on the delegate-rich Walker River Paiute Reservation. As we go forward I’ll try to add up all the numbers and create a tally of some sorts. We’ll call it the Native Primary.

It’s worth saying that elections are as much about policy as they are candidates. So watch both sides and ask: Who are the candidates running for Congress and how are they aligning with the presidential candidates? This is important because winning the White House is not enough to effect policy. There also has to be a legislative program. And any outsider — even Donald Trump — will have trouble without a regular coalition. Remember he’s running as a Republican, but he’s often running against the establishment Republicans. That’s a tough line to walk if you’re a Republican in Congress running for another term.

Like I said: This election is just starting to take shape. And it’s not recognizable.

I am Mark Trahant reporting.

Hopi chairman talks about effort to create Grand Canyon heritage monument

Arizona's public university system approves new tribal consultation policy

Montana educators focus on Indian education at best practices conference

https://www.nv1.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/nnn022216.mp3

Navajo lawmakers consider devoting funds to residents in the Bennett Freeze

Alaska Historical Commission member talks about role to represent Native people

U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources panel to consider Native American bills

National Congress of American Indians to hold executive council winter session

https://www.nv1.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/nnn021916.mp3