BILLINGS, Montana — Montana tribal leaders have called on Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy to apologize for comments he made to supporters about Native Americans being “drunk at 8 a.m.” and throwing beer cans at him on the Crow Reservation.
Audio recordings of Sheehy’s derogatory comments were obtained and published by Char-Koosta News, the official publication of the Flathead Indian Reservation.
Sheehy has the backing of former President Donald Trump as he challenges incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Tester in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.
A Republican victory could regain control of the closely divided Senate.
On one of the recordings, Sheehy can be heard saying that his ranch partner is a member of the Crow Tribe, with whom Sheehy ropes and brands cattle on the tribe’s reservation in southeastern Montana.
“A great way to bond with all the Indians while they’re drunk at 8am,” says Sheehy.
In another recording, he describes riding a horse in the parade at the Crow Fair, an annual gathering in Crow Agency featuring powwows, a rodeo and other events.
“If you know a tough crowd, go to the Crow Reservation,” Sheehy says. “They’ll let you know if they like you or not — Coors Light cans flying past your head.”
The Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, which represents 11 tribes and First Nations in the western U.S. and Canada, said Sheehy’s comments perpetuated stereotypes about Native Americans.
Council President Bryce Kirk asked Sheehy to apologize in a letter to the campaign Tuesday, which was obtained by The Associated Press.
“You ask for our votes and then you go to your fundraiser, ironically with alcohol flowing and laughter at our expense behind closed doors, and you insult us with a stereotype that only serves to seriously denigrate and dishonor our people,” Kirk wrote. “The Crow people are not your punch line. Native Americans are not your punch line.”
It’s uncertain whether Sheehy’s comments will be on the minds of voters when they go to the polls. But political analyst Paul Pope said their “indecent” nature could encourage more Native Americans to register to vote, which could give Tester a boost.
“Maybe there are people who are still hesitant and this could be a tipping point for them,” added Pope, a professor at Montana State University Billings.
A spokesman for the Sheehy campaign did not deny the authenticity of the recordings, which the tribe’s newspaper said were taken from fundraising events held in Montana last November.
Sheehy, a former U.S. Navy SEAL with no political experience, moved to Montana a decade ago and founded an aerial firefighting company. He knows members of the Crow Tribe and visits the reservation to work with them on cattle, spokesman Jack O’Brien said.
“He works with them, he brands with them,” O’Brien said. “What people insinuate about him, that’s just not who he is.”
He did not say whether Sheehy would apologize or otherwise respond to the tribal leaders’ request.
Montana has seven Indian reservations and nearly 70,000 Native Americans, about 7% of the total population, according to U.S. Census data. It’s a voting bloc that has long been seen as Democratic-leaning, but Montana Republicans have in recent years reached out to tribal leaders in hopes of winning their support in elections.
Frank White Clay, chairman of the Crow Tribe, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from his office.
Tester’s campaign declined to comment on the matter.
White Clay and other Crow representatives attended a meeting in Bozeman last month with Trump and Sheehy. White Clay told an AP reporter at the meeting that their presence was not intended as an endorsement. He said the tribe wanted to maintain good relations with any government.
Sam Sandoval, editor of Char-Koosta News, said Sheehy’s campaign had not responded to his site’s questions about the recordings. He said the recordings came from a trusted source who wanted the comments to be published in a tribal newspaper.
“For many tribal members, it’s a sensitive issue when they say they’re drunk at 8 a.m., when the indigenous people have been working to change that for years,” Sandoval said.
