‘Felt honored to be there’ Diné, Native Trump supporters attend rally in Albuquerque

By Nicholas House and Krista Allen
Navajo Times

ALBUQUERQUE

Liz Clawson wants to see former President Donald Trump win the election.

Clawson, who’s Dibé Łizhiní and born for Bilagáana, believes the U.S. – where many Americans may disagree on fundamental issues – needs to be one united nation.

“There’s such a division,” Clawson said on Thursday, during Trump’s campaign rally at a private hangar owned by CSI Aviation near the Albuquerque International Sunport. Clawson, a Republican, is from Navajo, New Mexico.

“I would like to see that we can unite our country again.”

Attending Trump’s rally on Oct. 31 was exciting, said Clawson, who experienced an adrenaline rush and felt wholesome.

“Trump is good at motivating the crowd,” Clawson said. “I don’t necessarily agree with all of his criticism that he puts out, but I strongly agree with his policies.

“I think a lot about how we need to regain our economy, how we need to make groceries affordable anymore.” She added she supports Trump’s stance on abortion. Trump’s latest position is that abortion policy should be set by the states. He promised his administration would be “great for women and their reproductive rights” and called for the government or private insurers to pay for IVF treatment.

Historical, monumental experience

Brandi Ross of the Cherokee Nation from Tulsa, Okla., was here all week for this year’s World Indigenous Business Forum, which was from Oct. 28-30, at the Clyde Hotel. When she learned that Trump would be in town for a rally, she decided to attend.

“It was a complete, spontaneous choice,” Ross said. “We just had so much understanding of what’s happening in the world and how people portray Indigenous people around the world. And it just gave us inspiration to do something out of the ordinary.”

Oklahoma being a red state, Ross is familiar with the line the Natives dance between the U.S. and the tribe.

“And just a very common thing where we’re from,” she said, “where we do have Republican-based Natives and where we have Democrat-based Natives. The beauty is we are all individual people, and we all have our own compass as to what we do and where we go.”

But experiencing a presidential rally days before Election Day she will tell for generations to come. She called it historical and monumental. “I really enjoyed how everyone embraced me being an Indigenous woman with my ribbon skirt,” she said, “with just the questions––wanting to learn about the culture or myself. And it was just really inspiring to feel so welcomed, … such a unique situation.”

‘Forgotten people, forgotten place’

Josh Valdez, a Diné/Hispanic Republican of Farmington, is pro-Trump for three things: Neil Gorsuch, the associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, who was nominated by President Trump on Jan. 31, 2017, and has served since April 10, 2017. Valdez, a pastor at Higher Ground Church, believes Gorsuch has a proven track record of helping Native Americans and ruling in their favor.

The second reason is Trump signing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, aka the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the 116th U.S. Congress in response to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Most single adults received $1,200 and families with children received more.

“Then the third, (which) is the most important in my opinion, is he established the task force for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women,” Valdez said. “And a lot of times, as Navajos, we’re forgotten about––nobody cares. Forgotten people, forgotten place.

“So, it’s nice to have someone like President Trump in Washington who remembers us and actually does things that are meaningful and practically beneficial to the Navajo people. He doesn’t just say it.”

Valdez believes the Democrats are all talk and no action. “Those are the three ways he’s (Trump) delivered for the Navajo people.”

Valdez’s grandmother, Alice Etcitty, 80, has attended two Trump campaign rallies. She says she, along with her grandson, fully agrees with Trump’s agenda thus far. Etcitty is Naakaii Dine’é and born for Bit’ahnii. She’s originally from Nageezi, New Mexico.

Representing culture

“I honestly felt the love for our country today (Oct. 31), the love of the people, the love of the Republican Party there. People were so nice,” Clawson added. “And I also felt honored to be there as a Navajo woman––honored and proud to represent my culture.”

Trump spent part of his rally talking about immigration and problems at the southern border when it comes to illegal crossings and migrants. Valdez believes, “Immigration hurts Navajo people because it takes away jobs and lowers the quality of life on the reservation.”

But if Trump wins and regains the White House there could be a reshaping of the government, according to his supporters.

“I’m hopeful,” Ross said. “But ultimately, it’s all about the numbers. So, I’m trying not to have any expectations, but I don’t want to be let down in any which way. But I can say (the rally) was very inspirational.”

Clawson added, “I love how he’s all about lower taxes for Americans. I love how he said ‘no tax’ on tips. I think Americans work hard. We work our butts off. And a majority of our money goes to taxes. You’ve got payroll taxes, sales tax, property tax.

“On the Navajo Nation, you’ve got junk food tax. We’re just taxed more than we need to be. We spend the majority of our lives working so hard. And those taxes go to the immigrants, the illegals that come into America.

“I don’t want to be working to fund an illegal immigrant. And it seems to be, that’s the policy that the left wants.”

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