Indigenous Peoples Day includes major voting push

Native Americans are marking Indigenous Peoples Day in October 2024 with a push to increase voter turnout in November. Events such as a voting rally in Minneapolis, a forum on Native American voting in Virginia and a project in Utah to register voters are all part of the mobilization and outreach efforts.

In 2020, voter turnout on tribal land in Arizona was significant, providing a boost for Democrat Joe Biden. Janeen Comenote , the executive director of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition, emphasized the importance of involvement during a presidential election year.

“We’re really all about just getting native voters out, not telling them how to vote, but understanding that you have a voice and you’re a democracy, a democracy that we helped create,” Comenote told The Associated Press.

According to the 2020 Census, nearly 10 million people in the United States identify as Native American, making up roughly 3% of the population. The Native American Rights Fund, a nonprofit providing legal assistance to tribes, recently found that 66% of eligible Native Americans are registered to vote.

However, barriers such as lack of addresses and mail delivery on Indian land, and polling places located off reservations, hinder voter participation. Many impoverished Native Americans also lack transportation to travel to vote.

Efforts are underway to tackle these challenges and empower Native Americans to have a stronger voice. While Indigenous Peoples Day is not a federal holiday, it is observed in 17 states.

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