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McCain Pledge Puts Candidate on Indian Radar

By Kevin Abourezk

Sen. John McCain exploded onto Indian Country's radar this week, promising to create a tribal government position within the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

During a meeting with the All Indian Pueblo Council and Navajo Nation delegates on Monday, the Republican presidential candidate stressed the need for all presidential candidates this year to support Native issues.

"Senator McCain pledged his support to Indian Country and our right to self-governance," said Joe Garcia, president of the National Congress of American Indians and chairman of the Pueblo council, in a news release.

Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama continued their tours of Indian lands in Montana and South Dakota this week in preparation for Tuesday's primaries in those states. Native people in those states are expected to play important roles in deciding which candidate wins.

But despite the attention given to Indians in Montana and South Dakota, McCain's pledge of support on Monday is important to note as his most public declaration of support for Native causes this election season.

McCain's pledge also raises the question of his history on Native issues.

As twice chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, McCain introduced a number of bills favored by Indians. In fact, he was the only presidential candidate who has introduced bills in the Indian Affairs Committee.

A search of the Library of Congress' Web site showed McCain sponsored three bills and co-sponsored four bills in the Indian Affairs Committee dealing with Native issues.

The bills he sponsored included:

• S.531, a bill McCain introduced in February 2007 to repeal the "Bennett Freeze," which was a 1966 ban on construction in an area of disputed ownership between the Navajo and Hopi. Leaders from both tribes generally supported McCain's repeal of the freeze.

• S.952, a bill to amend the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental and Native American Public Policy Act of 1992 to provide funds for training in tribal leadership, management and policy.

• S.1255, a bill to protect Native arts and crafts by authorize federal law enforcement officers to investigate an offense involving the sale of goods misrepresented as an Indian-made.

• S.2087, a bill that amended various legislative acts related to Natives, including: extending grant programs for tribal justice training and technical assistance and for tribal justice systems; including tribes as eligible grant recipients in programs for combating methampethamine use.

The four bills McCain co-sponsored included bills to: carry out demonstration projects related to prevention of Native youth suicide; remove barriers to reducing abuse of Native children; and recruit and retain tribal college and university teachers.

While few of McCain's sponsored and co-sponsored bills were enacted, his support for Native causes is noteworthy.

While meeting with Pueblo and Navajo leaders Monday, McCain emphasized his service as Indian Affairs Committee chairman.

"I know Indian Country and have been in support of Indian issues in my years as committee chair," he said. "I support the efforts of Indian Country and the solutions should know no political boundaries."

Kevin Abourezk's "Red Clout" columns are available for syndication. Please contact reznet to purchase republishing rights.

Kevin Abourezk, Rosebud Lakota, is a reporter and editor at the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star. He writes reznet's "Red Clout" political blog and teaches reporting at the Freedom Forum's American Indian Journalism Institute. Abourezk was awarded a Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism in 2006.

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