Tribal Officials Upset With House District Map
By Bill Vander Weele
Tribal officials are disappointed with the new Congressional House maps for the state of Montana. The two districts were recently approved by the districting commission that consisted of two Republicans, two Democrats and a tie-breaker chair appointed by the Montana Supreme Court.
The new map puts Missoula, Butte, Kalispell and Bozeman, along with the Flathead and Blackfeet Indian Reservations, to its western or number one district. Great Falls, Helena, Lewistown and Billings, along with the five other Indian Reservations in the state, are in the east or number two district.
“We still have concerns about it,” Floyd Azure, tribal chairman for the Fort Peck Tribes, said. “It’s like everything else. They want to keep our voices silent.”
Keaton Sunchild, political director of Western Native Voice, explained, “We’re concerned that neither candidate really needs to pay attention to the Native vote.”
Tribal officials worry that the eastern district will be so lob-sided in favor of conservative Republicans that the amount of tribal votes available won’t matter enough for candidates to campaign in the area.
“It’s easy to forget about them,” Sunchild said of Native voters.
He explained that the districting commission did have communication with tribal officials, but the final outcome was disappointing and a “gut punch.”
“Obviously, at the end of the day, they had a different idea in mind,” Sunchild said.
Azure said he has told each of Montana’s current congressional members that they need to do what’s best for Montanans instead of worrying about political games. Azure compared their behavior to being on a playground.
“It’s not what we elect them to do,” Azure said. “They need to do what’s best for their state and country.”
Sunchild urges reservations to promote high voting turnout. “If all eligible voters on tribal land vote, we have the ability to make a difference.”
Western Native Voice continues to work with the ACLU on a lawsuit regarding voting rights in Montana. They have been making contact with voting rights experts and tribal officials.
