The Native American Vote and Why It Matters

Due to treaties, which are “formal agreements between two sovereign nations” and legal battles, the native peoples of American were not extended the full rights of US citizenship until 1924. As the original people of this country, the US government defines Native American Tribes as separate nations, separate countries living within the geographic boundaries of the United States.

For many years, the US government tried, unsuccessfully, with treaties, religion, education, warfare, and force to push native peoples away from their traditional hunting-and-gathering lifestyle and turn them into “civilized” peoples. With the massive lost of land, numbers, and culture, voting in the US took a backseat to survival.

When the right to vote was finally extended to Native Americans. in 1924, debates raged within native communities as to the need for inclusion in the electoral functions of the United States.

The American ideals of “Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” hold no real meaning without acknowledgement of those from whom these ideals were taken. Today, the contributions of Native American scholars, writers, entertainers, politicians, and voters are helping to shape a new, better America.

References:
Civilrights.org, “Civil Rights: A Chronology,” civilrights.org, http://www.civilrights.org/research_center/permanent_collection/resource...
Japanese American National Museum. Teaching the Japanese American Experience: An Educator’s Tool Kit. 2004.
KLCS, “African American World Timeline,” Public Broadcasting System, http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/timeline.htm
http://www.peaceworkmagazine.org/pwork/0410/041005.htm
http://www.infoplease.com/timelines/voting.html
http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0700/frameset_reset.html?http://www.nebra...
http://www.progress.org/2004/vote28.htm
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:uOhSwUTAoqsJ:www.kqed.org/assets/pd...

Photo by: Little Green Dragon

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sreljic/2208905615/