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Native Vote 2024. On Monday--Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Democratic Natonal Committee (DNC) launched a significant advertising campaign aimed at Native American voters, with a six-figure investment to amplify their voices in the upcoming November election. The "I Will Vote" initiative targets Native communities in Arizona, North Carolina, Montana, and Alaska through various media, including digital, print, and radio ads, with most placements in Native-owned publications at both local and national levels.

This marks the DNC's third campaign focused on Native voters this year and represents its largest financial commitment to reaching this demographic.

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The "I Will Vote" campaign provides comprehensive national information on polling places and voter education to empower Tribal communities with the resources needed to participate in this important election. Earlier in the year, the DNC also released civic engagement and voter protection guides in seven Native languages—Apache, Ho-Chunk, Hopi, Navajo, Paiute, Shoshone, and Zuni—covering voter registration, ballot casting, and overcoming voting barriers.

“Democrats are meeting Native voters where they are, investing in our third ad campaign this cycle dedicated to reaching Native communities, with vital information about voting in this election,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said. “We know that this upcoming election is critical for our Tribal nations, with our freedoms, access to health care and education, and the fundamental right to self-determination and Tribal sovereignty on the ballot. The Democratic Party is taking no vote or community for granted, engaging every facet of our diverse coalition of voters in order to elect Democrats up and down the ballot this November.”

“Native American people will absolutely help decide the results of this election,”  Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Ojibwe) said. “With Harris and Walz at the top of the ticket, Native voters in swing states and in communities across the country have the power to put Democrats in office who will strengthen our tribal sovereignty and work to ensure that every Native child has the opportunity to achieve their biggest, boldest dreams. Now it’s up to us to raise our voices with our votes.”

Supporting and Investing in Native American Communities

While MAGA Republicans have attempted to undermine Tribal land protections, proposed cuts to critical services in Native communities, and spewed hateful rhetoric, Democrats are strategically engaging Native voters through this dedicated campaign and doubling down on our commitment to advance Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

The ad will be featured in the following 14 publications, with more being added weekly:

Ketchikan Daily News, AK

Char-Koosta News, MT 

Ak-Chin, print, AZ

Navajo Times, AZ

Navajo-Hopi Observer, AZ

White Mountain Independent, AZ

The Tribune, AZ

Fayetteville Observer, NC 

Robesonian, NC

Cherokee One Feather, NC 

Native News Online, National

ICT News, National 

High Country News, National 

Tribal Business News, National

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The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

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Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

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Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
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