• Slug: CN2Go.
• Runtime: 5:55.
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(Music)

THIS IS YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2GO BRIEFING.

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I’M NATALIE SKOWLUND( go to story )

TODAY ON THE SHOW WE’RE TAKING A DEPARTURE FROM OUR USUAL BRIEFING TO BRING YOU AN IN-DEPTH LISTEN ON AN ASPECT OF THIS YEAR’S MID-TERM ELECTION.

PROTECT THE SACRED IS PART OF A NATIONWIDE EFFORT TO FIND NEW AND CREATIVE WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH YOUNG INDIGENOUS VOTERS. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THEY SKATED TO THE POLLS FOR THE PRIMARY ELECTION. AND AS CRONKITE NEWS’ ATHENA ANKRAH REPORTS, THIS MONTH THEY GATHERED IN KAYENTA (KEY-enta) TO RIDE ON HORSEBACK TO THE POLLS AHEAD OF THE MIDTERM ELECTION.
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EARLY ON A RECENT SATURDAY MORNING, A GROUP OF ACTIVISTS, ADVOCATES AND ACTORS MOUNTED HORSES AND RODE THROUGH THE RED ROCK OF EL CAPITÁN MOUNTAIN IN MONUMENT VALLEY.

Nat pop?

BY LUNCHTIME, THEY MADE IT TO KAYENTA (KEY-enta) RODEO GROUNDS ON THE NAVAJO NATION.

Ambi sound of crow cawing, ducks below

BLACK MESAS AND THE WIDE OPEN DESERT SURROUND THE ARENA. LOCAL DINÉ (dih-NEH) FAMILIES SIT IN THE BLEACHERS. THERE, A GREEN FLAG OF A RIDER ON HORSEBACK WITH THE WORDS “RECLAIM YOUR FUTURE” WAVES IN THE BREEZE.

panelist introductions in Navajo (sound pop)

MO BRINGS PLENTY IS A LAKOTA ACTOR FROM SOUTH DAKOTA. HE SAYS EVENTS LIKE “RIDE TO THE POLLS” CAN UNITE BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR.

“It’s about coming together, it’s about creating allies. It’s about making many voices one large voice. And we’re way overdue with that.”

Panel/voices fade down

OF THE 400,000 FORMALLY ENROLLED DINÉ (Dih-NEH), ONLY SEVENTY THOUSAND ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN ARIZONA.

“We just recently had the primary election… Unfortunately, on the Navajo Nation, even though we are the biggest tribe, we only had about 13% of our people, our registered voters, come out to vote.”

THAT’S NATHANIEL BROWN, THE NAVAJO NATION COUNCIL DELEGATE FOR KAYENTA (KEY-enta) AND TWO OTHER COMMUNITIES. HE SAYS IN-PERSON VOTING ON THE RESERVATION IS CHALLENGING. .

“Some of our people from Navajo Mountain, when they come out to vote at the county and state level, they have to travel 4 hours one way.”

BROWN SAYS MAIL-IN BALLOTS CAN BE EVEN TRICKIER.

“[00:18:47] Out here in rural Navajo Nation, which, the whole nation is. We don’t have physical addresses for the most part.”

THAT’S WHY GRASSROOTS ORGANIZER ALLIE YOUNG DECIDED TO TAKE STEPS TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE AND ELDER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO THE POLLS.

“[00:11:55] It’s a demonstration to say that even though different laws have been passed the past couple of years that have aimed to suppress our votes, especially in BIPOC communities, that we’re not going to let that happen. We’re still going to, you know, show up in our power. And by voting, we’re reclaiming our power.”

YOUNG LED THE FIRST RIDE TO THE POLLS IN 2020. THIS YEAR TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING, YOUNG INVITED SPEAKERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING ROGELIO DIAZ. HE’S THE CO-FOUNDER OF CONNECTING COMPTON, A NONPROFIT IN CALIFORNIA.

“[00:09:13] At the end of the day, some of the rules that exist right now are not working for us. And so we have to begin to figure out a strategy and vote for things that are going to work out for us. I think it’s a necessity that we all vote, we make the difference.”

KEIARA WADE, A COMPTON COWGIRL OF THE COMPTON COWBOYS SAYS THE RIDE TO THE POLLS EVENT HELPS BREAK DOWN SOCIAL BARRIERS.

“[00:03:43] if you don’t feel important, your mind is closed. Just simple as that. You don’t want to even think outside of the box, so to speak, because why does it matter? I’m not important anyway.

BUT WADE SAYS VOTERS ON THE NAVAJO NATION DESERVE TO BE HEARD JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE. SHE SAYS IT’S ALL ABOUT MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.

“But if someone says, ‘Hey, I want to step into your world and do something that draws your attention, something that you like, but also I have an important message to get across.’ Then it will just allow them to understand: I am important, I am being heard.”

FOR ATTENDEE JOY WERO, THE EVENT REMINDED HER OF HER OWN FAMILY’S STRUGGLE FOR SUFFRAGE.

“[00:35:00] My grandmother, I’m pretty sure her and her ancestors were, you know, fighting and putting their lives on the line just to hear their voices heard. But yet, I’m here and all we have to do is register, sign and register to vote.”

THOUGH VOTER TURNOUT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN LOW HERE, NUMBERS HAVE SPIKED OVER THE LAST TWO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. VOTERS ON THE NAVAJO AND NEARBY HOPI RESERVATIONS CAST NEARLY 20 THOUSAND MORE VOTES IN 2020 THAN IN 2016, ACCORDING TO ELECTION DATA.

PIPER PERABO IS AN ACTRESS AND ADVOCATE FOR VOTER PARTICIPATION FROM NEW YORK. ON THE PANEL, SHE SAYS THE POTENTIAL OF VOTERS IN THE LARGEST TRIBAL NATION IS TOO GREAT TO IGNORE.

“[00:29:59] if Navajo Nation was all voting, Woof, you could move some things around. And at the state level, I mean, the minimum wage, how the environment is protected, the public schools, the health care systems. That’s all decided at the state level. And Navajo Nation is so big that if it voted together, could make a lot of change.”

Crowd reactions, fade down into horse clops…

THE RIDE TO THE POLLS EVENT IS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL EFFORTS TO MOBILIZE THE DINÉ (dih-NEH) VOTING BLOC BEFORE THE MIDTERM ELECTION ON NOVEMBER 8TH. AND WHEN PEOPLE CAST THEIR BALLOTS ON THE NAVAJO NATION THIS YEAR… THE “I VOTED” STICKERS WILL BE WRITTEN IN DINÉ BIZAAD (bih-ZAAHD); THE NAVAJO LANGUAGE.

ATHENA ANKRAH, CRONKITE NEWS.
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THANKS TO ATHENA ANKRAH FOR THAT STORY.

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YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORY YOU HEARD IN TODAY’S NEWS UPDATE, BY GOING TO CRONKITENEWS-DOT-AZPBS-DOT-ORG.

THAT’S ALL FOR YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2 GO. I’M NATALIE SKOWLUND.

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