Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Vote 2024. In Oklahoma, the United Indian Nations of Oklahoma (UINO) is launching its second biennial “Warrior Up to Vote” event, a statewide initiative to increase voter registration among Native Americans in Oklahoma. The tour runs from September 23 to October 5.
Currently, Oklahoma ranks 50th in voter participation and registration, and Native Americans have some of the lowest voter registration and turnout rates in the country. Warrior Up to Vote wants to change that. Tribal citizens in Oklahoma make up 13 percent of the state’s population.
Never miss the biggest stories and breaking news from Indian Country. Click here to sign up and get our reporting delivered straight to your inbox every weekday morning.
The Warrior Up to Vote tour aims to visit as many tribes as possible before Oklahoma’s October 11 voter registration deadline.
Ben Barnes, chairman of the UINO board of directors, explains that voting is a right and can have a huge impact on issues important to Indian Country.
“There are so many issues that we feel like we can’t move on because they seem insurmountable when we look at them as a whole. Societal issues like education, healthcare, mental health and substance abuse seem impossible to overcome,” Barnes said. “But registering to vote is a right. We can influence taxes, our tribal agreements and tribal sovereignty when we vote, which helps with all of those issues that disproportionately impact Native Americans. Whether you’re young or old, regardless of your background or education, voting is something we can all do to improve our communities, and it requires minimal effort.”
UINO has received a grant from the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), which allows UINO to visit tribes, tribal complexes, and headquarters throughout Oklahoma.
As part of this tour, UINO will distribute voter registration materials to Tribal Nations and Native voters, including posters and flyers with QR codes that link directly to online registration resources, making it easier to register to vote. Tribal nations are encouraged to display these materials in high-traffic areas such as social service offices, health centers, tribal tax offices, and other community spaces.
Margo Gray, executive director of UINO, hopes this tour will result in record numbers of Indigenous voters turning out.
“United Indian Nations of Oklahoma is mobilizing the voice of Natives like never before,” Gray said. “With the support of our tribal leaders, we can reach more Natives than ever before, and our collective voices can be more impactful than ever before. This tour is truly historic, and we are ready to become Warrior up to Vote.”
The Warrior Up to Vote tour is expected to make the following stops at tribal complexes and headquarters in Oklahoma:
-
Monday 9/23 – Miami, OK – Shawnee, Miami, Peoria, Seneca Cayuga, Eastern Shawnee, Quapaw, Wyandotte, Ottawa and Modoc Tribal Nations
-
9/24 Tuesday – Vinita and Tahlequah, OK – Cherokee Nation and UKB Tribal Nations 9/25 Wednesday – Bartlesville & Pawhuska- Delaware Tribe of Indians and Osage Nation Tribal Nations
-
Thursday 26/9 – Kaw City, Ponca City, Tonkawa – Tribal Peoples of Kaw, Ponca and Tonkawa
-
9/27 Friday – Redrock & Pawnee, OK – Otoe Missouria and Pawnee Tribal Nations
-
10/1 Tuesday – Perkins, Stroud, McCloud, OK – Iowa, Sac & Fox, Kickapoo Tribal Nations
About the Author: “Neely Bardwell (a descendant of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indian) is a reporter for Native News Online. Bardwell is also a student at Michigan State University, where she is majoring in policy and minoring in Native American studies.”
Contact: neely@nativenewsonline.net
