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Former president Bill Clinton spoke in Albuquerque, N.M., Jan. 31 while campaigning for his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton. AP Photo/Toby Jorrin, File

Considering the Candidates

By Sunnie Redhouse

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Michelle Pino pushed, squeezed and shrugged her way through the sea of bright blue shirts and signs adorned with the name of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The presidential candidate wasn't here; her husband was, and Pino wanted to see him. But it wasn't an autograph or a picture Pino was seeking from former president Bill Clinton. She wanted something more.

"I wanted to tell him that I'm a health care provider for women's health," said Pino, a certified nurse midwife and a Navajo. "I really supported the health care reform. It was really good for him to stop and listen."

Pino was one of hundreds of students, parents and children who listened to a speech by Bill Clinton at the University of New Mexico's Johnson Center on Jan. 31. The former president was on a campaign stop in New Mexico days before the Feb. 5 Democratic caucus.

Addressing a range of topics including health care, troops, economic reform and education, Clinton encouraged audience members to vote for his wife.

"New Mexico is a big part of America's future," Bill Clinton said. "The most important reason to vote for (Hillary Clinton) is that she is the only person who has brought people together to make positive changes in other people's lives."

Donna Fernandez, Pomo Indian, said she believes that, which is why she and her two children traveled more than 150 miles from Bloomfield, N.M., to listen to the speech and show their support for Hillary Clinton.

Fernandez said she hoped to hear about particular issues that concerned her and her family.

"I was really inquiring about the economy, student loans and education," Fernandez said. "I've got kids ready to go to college so that was really important for me to hear."

While Native American issues weren't at the top of Bill Clinton's speech, Fernandez said she's comfortable knowing that the Clintons have a history with Native Americans.

"I know in his past he's (Bill Clinton) been up to Shiprock," Fernandez said, referring to a town on the New Mexican side of the Navajo Reservation. "That's one of the reasons I do think that he does know the Native American community.

"And I think she's (Hillary Clinton) educated on the issues. She's probably the most experienced with the issues," Fernandez said. "I think she'll listen to the issues, even though we're a minority population in this country."

Pino, the Navajo midwife, said she was glad that Bill Clinton at least touched on one of the prominent concerns for Native Americans everywhere—land.

"What stood out in the speech today was how she's protecting the land, her protecting the environment as a whole," Pino said. "I think it's very empowering."

While a handful of Native women shared a variety of concerns, there was one concept that pulled them together—the fact that Clinton would be the first female American president.

"I think a woman's voice is important," Fernandez said.

Fernandez said while some people in Native and non-Native communities are opposed to the idea of women in high leadership positions, the concept is growing in acceptance.

Renita Blackgoat, Blackfeet, originally from Browning, Mont., has lived in New Mexico for about two years. She said Clinton being a woman presidential candidate is reason enough for her to support the Clintons.

"My being a woman and Hillary being a strong woman is enough," Blackgoat said. "She's making history."

Sunnie Redhouse, Navajo, graduated in May from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. A graduate of the Freedom Forum's American Indian Journalism Institute and a Chips Quinn Scholar, Redhouse had had reporting internships at Sports Illustrated, the Albuquerque Journal and, this past summer, the Salt Lake Tribune under the Sports Journalism Institute internship program.

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