- Details
- By Neely Bardwell
Native Vote. The U.S. House of Representatives is considering the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which will require all Americans to prove their citizenship status by presenting documentation in person when registering to vote or updating their voter registration information.
Currently, in most states you are able to register to vote online through a state sanctioned website. If passed, this Act would remove that option and require all citizens to register in person and have an acceptable form identification to prove citizenship.
The legislation would require the vast majority of Americans to rely on either a passport or a birth certificate in combination with a government-issued photo ID to prove their citizenship. Either a passport or birth certificate needs to be presented in order to register to vote.
More than 140 million American citizens do not possess a passport, and as many as 69 million women who have taken their spouse’s name do not have a birth certificate matching their legal name. This would also impact millions of transgender Americans who do not possess these documents reflecting the name they use.
Native communities already experience barriers to voting including long distance to polling places, language barriers, invalid addresses, and more. This bill would only exacerbate these barriers, especially with the new in-person requirement which would now require Natives who live in rural communities to make the long trek to register.
Four Directions Native Vote has continuously fought back against such laws that would present even more barriers to Native people exercising their right to vote. OJ Semans, co-executive director of Four Directions, says this bill is “highly dangerous.”
“The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act currently in congress is highly dangerous legislation. The requirements within the bill would annihilate the Native Vote turnout all across America within and without Indian Country,” Semans said in a statement to Native News Online. “Tribes and tribal organizations need to strongly oppose this legislation to their Congressional Delegation within the House and Senate.”
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Photographs of the Homecoming of the Three Fires Powwow
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
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.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The 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.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
