It’s Indigenous Peoples Day. We’re devoting the hour to exploring the issues that are important to Native American voters. This community can be overlooked by campaigns, but their votes could be the deciding factors in this highly contentious presidential election cycle.
There are predicted to be at least 5 million Native and Alaska Native-identifying voters in the U.S. in both rural and urban communities, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — although estimates are expected to be an undercount.
There’s been a historic issue of voter suppression in the Native community. Even 100 years after Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, which granted U.S. citizenship and the right to vote to all Native Americans born in the United States, some argue there is more work to do to make voting accessible.
On this episode of Charlotte Talks with guest host Ely Portillo, we discuss the issues that are most important to this community, voter registration efforts, and take a look at why one political party might be more enticing than the other.
GUESTS:
Jesalyn Keziah, executive director of the Triangle Native American Society and a member of the Lumbee Tribe
Sarah Nagem, editor of the Border Belt Independent
