New Report Outlines the Obstacles Native Americans Face in Voting and Political Participation

By Erica Belfi

June 11, 2020

On June 4, 2020, launched by the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), the Native American Voting Rights Coalition (NAVRC), composed of national and local grassroots organizations, attorneys, and academics, published a report titled “Obstacles at Every Turn: Barriers to Political Participation Faced by Native American Voters.” The report’s purpose is to explore the barriers that Native Americans must overcome to participate in non-Native political processes. The Native American Voting Rights Coalition conducted a series of field hearings in seven states, interviewing 125 witnesses including Tribal leaders, community organizers, politicians, and voters from multiple Tribal Nations. By documenting Native Americans’ experiences, the coalition has created an official account of discrimination, ensuring that their struggles are acknowledged and recorded. Ultimately, these accounts can help guide public policy at all levels, encourage political participation in Native American communities, and further arm community members with knowledge of their voting rights. 

 
While the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 recognized Native Americans as U.S. citizens, the United States did not initially grant Native communities the right to vote. The U.S. government cited several reasons for withholding the right to vote, arguing that Native Americans did not pay property taxes, were under the guardianship of the U.S. government, were not literate in English, and were more citizens of their Tribes rather than of the state. As the report notes, historically, disenfranchisement was the strongest tool that white settlers had to keep Native Americans powerless. It was not until the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1975 – nearly 200 years after the United States proclaimed independence – that the United States enfranchised Native Americans. The act may have provided a legal basis for Native Americans to access language assistance and vote, but Native communities continue to struggle to exercise their rights.
 

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