The U.S. Supreme Court has, in the words of the Native American Rights Fund, diluted Native Americans’ “ability to secure good schools, adequate infrastructure, health care access, environmental protections, and economic opportunity.” Louisiana is moving fast to redraw voting districts to further minimize the political power of Native Americans and other minorities. Other states are preparing similar changes. The High Court’s recent invalidation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act follows the 2013 decision striking down the Act’s Section 5. That eliminates the most powerful tools Native voters had in challenging the long history of demonstrated efforts to exclude Native voices from political dialogue. We’ll examine the looming implications of the Court’s decisions and examine the strategies Native voting advocates have going forward.

We’ll also discuss some important indicators for Native candidates in pivotal races, including the potential for history to be made in the upcoming Midterm Elections.

GUESTS

Patty Ferguson-Bohnee (Pointe-au-Chien), professor of law at Arizona State University and Native Vote Election Protection coordinator for the State of Arizona

Torey Dolan (Choctaw), assistant professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School

Samantha Blencke, senior staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund

Mark Trahant (Shoshone-Bannock), journalist and former editor of ICT

Marjorie Childress, managing editor of New Mexico In Depth

Break 1 Music: Fool’s Paradise (song) Samantha Crain (artist) Gumshoe (album)

Break 2 Music: Fearless I Live (song) Courtney Yellow Fat (artist) The Lost Songs of Sitting Bull (album)