Native Vote 2024. In Oklahoma, the United Indian Nations of Oklahoma (UINO) is launching its second bi-annual “Warrior Up to Vote” event, a statewide initiative to increase voter registration among Native Americans in Oklahoma. The tour will start Sept. 23 to Oct. 5.
Currently, Oklahoma ranks 50th in voter participation and registration, and Native Americans have some of the country's lowest voter registration and turnout rates. Warrior Up to Vote aims to change that. Tribal citizens in Oklahoma comprise 13 percent of the state's population.
The Warrior Up to Vote tour is committed to visiting as many tribal communities as possible before Oklahoma’s Oct. 11 voter registration deadline.
Ben Barnes, UINO Board Chairman, explains that voting is a right and can make huge impacts on issues affecting Indian Country.
"There are so many problems we feel we can't move the needle on because they seem insurmountable when we look at them as a whole. Societal issues such as education, healthcare, mental health and substance abuse seem impossible to overcome," said Barnes. "But registering to vote is a right. We can impact taxation, our tribal compacts and tribal sovereignty when we vote, which helps all those issues that disproportionately affect Native Americans. Whether you are a young person or an elder, no matter your background or education, voting is something we can all do to uplift our communities, and it requires minimal effort."
UINO received a grant from the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), which will help UINO visit tribal nations, tribal complexes, and headquarters across Oklahoma.
As part of this tour, UINO will distribute voter registration materials to Tribal Nations and Native voters, including posters and flyers with QR codes that link directly to the online registration resources making registering to vote easier. Tribal nations are encouraged to display these materials in high-traffic areas such as social services offices, health centers, tribal tax offices and other community spaces.
Margo Gray, UINO Executive Director, is hoping that this tour will help turn out Native voters in record numbers.
"United Indian Nations of Oklahoma is mobilizing the Native vote like never before," said Gray. "With the support of our tribal leaders, we can reach more Natives than ever, and we can make our collective voices more impactful than ever. This tour is truly historic, and we are ready to Warrior up to Vote."
The Warrior Up to Vote tour is expected to make the following stops at tribal complexes and headquarters across Oklahoma:
- 9/23 Monday – Miami, OK – Shawnee, Miami, Peoria, Seneca Cayuga, Eastern Shawnee, Quapaw, Wyandotte, Ottawa and Modoc Tribal Nations
- 9/24 Tuesday – Vinita and Tahlequah, OK – Cherokee Nation and UKB Tribal Nations 9/25 Wednesday – Bartlesville & Pawhuska- Delaware Tribe of Indians and Osage Nation Tribal Nations
- 9/26 Thursday - Kaw City, Ponca City, Tonkawa – Kaw, Ponca and Tonkawa Tribal Nations
- 9/27 Friday – Redrock & Pawnee, OK - Otoe Missouria and Pawnee Tribal Nations
- 10/1 Tuesday – Perkins, Stroud, McCloud, OK - Iowa, Sac & Fox, Kickapoo Tribal Nations
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
Seattle Seahawks Tackle Preservation Projects at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center for Annual Day of Service
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs
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
