Advocates keep up fight for voting rights

ALBUQUERQUE

Obstructions to the Native vote have been going on since the passage of the Indian Citizen Act in 1924.

Over time, states have refused to register tribal members, failed to provide language interpreters and accessible polling places, required voters to have city-like addresses and refused to acknowledge tribal identification cards.

In more recent days, barriers have come in the form of crooked district lines, shutting down polling places and going to mail-in voting with rigorous instructions.

But, no matter what side of the Navajo Nation you live on, someone has been out there fighting for your voting rights.

Here are a few examples:

Using Window Rock as your imaginary point of view, looking to the east towards Santa Fe, in 2012 New Mexico state leadership Timothy Jennings and Ben Lujan along with then-Rep. Ray Begaye, Diné, then-Sen. Leonard Tsosie, Diné, Sen. John Pinto, Diné, and many others took the state to task for drawing up unfair districting lines that diluted Diné voter strength.

Voices as far south as the Alamo Navajo community joined in on the fight, participating in the Native American re-districting work group which included representation from To’hajiilee, Ramah and all of the Pueblos.

They argued that Native Americans should comprise a larger share of the state house and senate, considering 10 percent of the state’s population was Native American while only four percent of the legislative body were members of Native American tribes.

“The evidence overwhelmingly supports the district court’s conclusion that Native Americans have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice,” reads a legal brief in the Supreme Court case.

Now, looking from Santa Fe, NM to Albuquerque, resource people like Shirlee Smith, Diné, of Bernalillo Voter Services and Native American Voters Alliance are working every day registering people to get the Native vote out.

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