- Details
- By Leland Marmon
Native Vote 2024. WASHINGTON — In an event that was billed as Democratic nominee’s “closing argument,” one week before the 2024 presidential election, on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris rallied a massive crowd at the Ellipse in Washington, DC.
A sea of multicolored dots blotted out every bit of grass around the Washington Monument as people swarmed and vied for a view. Throngs of watchers and protestors moved about the streets, many glued to the jumbotrons while others broadcast grievances over megaphones and signs, including one silent grim reaper ready for halloween. Inside the Ellipse, an air of excitement over cheering and chanting, nearly everyone in attendance wearing LED wristbands in red white and blue.
What was initially expected to be 30,000 people had grown to an impressive audience of around 75,000. Some 40,000 inside the Ellipse and the rest in the overflow. The event attracted supporters from across the DMV (DC, MD, VA) and beyond, bolstered by the excitement of a potential woman of color for president, and encouraged by endorsements from Democratic leaders and public figures.
Multiple speakers opened for Kamala, average Americans with important and poignant stories to tell. Issues ranged from the human cost of insulin, family planning, support for entrepreneurs and small businesses, as well as supporting our veterans.
“These are the policies of a leader, a leader who cares about making our lives better. Someone who is committed to listening to the people that they serve,” said Ryan Wilson, a small business owner from Atlanta. “Taking good ideas from wherever they come from and developing common sense solutions focused on getting things done.”
Among the speakers included a dyed in the wool Republican family from Virginia, Bob and Christina Lang, who vowed to vote for Kamala this election. “Never in a million years did I think that I would be up on a stage like this, supporting a Democrat for president, but enough is enough!” declared Christina. Her husband followed, topping their speech with a severe call to action: “My message to the millions of undecided voters, many of those Republicans, is that it's time to turn the page on Donald Trump!”
Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage to raucous cheers. “One week from today,” she began, her voice carrying over the thousands who came to support her, “you will have the chance to make a decision that directly impacts your life, the life of your family, and the future of this country we love. It will probably be the most important vote you ever cast.” She framed the upcoming election as not merely a choice between candidates but “a choice about whether we have a country rooted in freedom for every American or ruled by chaos and division.”
It was no coincidence this rally was held in the same space Trump had incited the January 6 march, and subsequent riots at the Capitol.
"So tonight, I will speak to everyone about the choice and stakes in this election. Look, we all know who Donald Trump is. He is the person who stood at this very spot nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election that he knew he lost," Harris said. "Americans died as a result of that attack. 140 law enforcement officers were injured. And while Donald Trump sat in the White House watching, as the violence unfolded on television, he was told by staff that the mob wanted to kill his own vice president. Donald Trump responded with two words: 'So what?'"
While discussing her policy stance, Harris also referenced the overtly negative and chaotic ways Trump responds to American people. “This is not a candidate for president who is thinking about how to make your life better. This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance and out for unchecked power. Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other.”
“It is time to stop pointing fingers and start locking arms. It is time to turn the page on drama and conflict, fear and division,” she declared. “It is time for a new generation of leadership in America.”
Her message culminated in the understanding that this election does not begin and end with policies, but is a battle over the very identity of the country.
“We are a nation of immigrants,” Harris reminded the audience, to widespread applause. “I will work with Congress to pass immigration reform, including an earned path to citizenship for hard-working people.”
She continued with commentary about Veterans, reminding the watchers of how Trump has treated them in the past. “Donald Trump has shown his contempt for our nation’s heroes. … I will always honor, never denigrate, the service and sacrifice of our troops and their families, and fulfill our sacred obligation to care for them.”
Throughout her speech, she resonated with what it means to be ‘presidential’ and vowed to represent the American people, on the world stage, and in the federal government. Whether it’s women’s rights, inflation, immigration, caregiving, the cost of housing, or what it means to be a politician, represented by a democratic vote.
“If you give me the chance to fight on your behalf, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way.” Harris said.
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