If American Indian candidates win all 11 of the seats in the Montana Legislature they are running for this fall, the percentage of Natives in the session would for the first time be representative of the population in the state. American Indians make up 7.4 percent of Montanans but have historically been underrepresented in the Legislature. In the 2015 session, there were eight American Indian legislators, three in the Senate and five in the House, for 5.3 percent of the 150 members. If Indians win all the seats they’re running for this year, that would come to 8 percent, including a state senator whose seat isn’t up for election this year, to make 12 total. … The geography and demographics of their campaigns creates a unique situation, they say. As candidates they talk about advocating for Native issues but also don’t want to be defined strictly by the color of their skin.
“I don’t think it matters what my race is, whether I’m living in Missoula and an Indian,” said Morigeau, who grew up on the Flathead Reservation and is a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. “I’m just someone who is interested in making the district better, that should really be the important thing.”
But he added having a strong Native voice in the Legislature ensures that lawmakers talk about issues specific to Indian Country. “In a lot of places in Montana it’s kind of out of sight, out of mind. You don’t see Indians and you don’t live their issues and understand them. Often people stereotype.”
Morigeau, who is a lawyer for the tribes, worked in two previous sessions as a lobbyist advocating tribal issues. That included the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Water Compact, but also education and Medicaid expansion. “Those are issues that … often were very similar to issues that were affecting a lot of Montanans,” Morigeau said. “They are similar issues that correlated with what I think a majority of Montanans felt.”
Full Article: More satellite voting offices, more American Indians seeking office this election season | Government & Politics | billingsgazette.com.