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The National Native News Election Project

November 8, 2016 By NNN

The National Native News Elections Project aims to shine the spotlight on elections and how they relate to Native American and Alaska Native voters. The news reports will air up to and after the Nov. 2016 election in the National Native News newscasts.

The project is funded in part by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It’s aimed at increasing the diversity and scope of elections coverage and building the capacity of reporters reporting on voting issues in their respective communities. For more information on voting in your community, go to the non-partisan NativeVote.org, organized by the National Congress of American Indians.

Meet the reporters for the National Native News Elections Project

Montana’s Denise Juneau ponders what’s next after failed congressional bid

(Photo: Juneau for Congress campaign)

Just a month after losing her hard-fought congressional bid, Montana’s Denise Juneau is looking to turn defeat into a new opportunity. “We just lost,” Juneau said. “People believed in this race, they believed in my candidacy and you can’t ask for more than that.” She’d hoped to be the first Native American in Congress. Now, Juneau confirms she’s interested in the top post at the University of Montana.

Environmental leader predicts fights with incoming Trump administration

(Photo: screen capture from Vine)

The head of a Native American-focused environmental initiative is gearing up for a fight with the incoming Trump administration. Honor the Earth Executive Director Winona LaDuke has strong words about the president-elect’s views on energy development. LaDuke can claim a victory after the company behind the controversial Sandpiper Pipeline through northern Minnesota – Enbridge Energy Partners – ended that project in September 2016. But there’s no time for her to rest on her laurels. “None of us expected Donald Trump would be elected,” LaDuke said.

Concern and hope facing Donald Trump’s first 100 days

Some tribal leaders in the U.S. are expressing concern following last week’s election of Republican Donald Trump. They worry some of Trump’s plans for his first hundred days in office could negatively impact Indian Country.
Trump has vowed deep federal spending cuts after he takes the oath of office in January. But some tribal leaders say that could threaten education, housing, healthcare and family service programs that benefit Native Americans. Some of those are protected under federal treaties.

Left out by candidates’ support for northern Minnesota mining proposals

Candidates for Minnesota’s 8th District largely support controversial mining proposals, including reviving this facility idled in 2001 (Photo: Polymet Mining)

The close race for Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District has focused largely on jobs and the connection each of the candidates has to the presidential contenders. Neither of the candidates–Democrat Rick Nolan and Republican Stewart Mills–has directly addressed Native American issues. One of those issues is the proposed PolyMet Mining open-pit copper-nickel mine.

Montana likely to retain strong Native American representation

Montana Senator Jonathan Windy Boy (Photo: Montana Legislative Information Office)

In all but a small handful of states, Native Americans are elected at a rate that falls well short of their percentage of the population. And there are only two Native American members of Congress. But Native Americans living in Montana have some of the best representation at the state level in the country.

Enough Native Americans are running unopposed or even against other Native Americans that tribal members are guaranteed eight of the 150 seats in the House or Senate.

Appealing to the conservative Native American voter

As a group, Native Americans traditionally vote Democrat. Their economic status and views on environmental issues, among other things, tend to align more with established democratic ideals. President Obama helped solidify that support by actively reaching out to tribes during his two terms in office. But there are significant pockets of conservative Native voters, most notably in Oklahoma. Two conservative leaders there are working to attract more Native American voters

Alaska ballot measure aims to improve Native voter access

A ballot measure in Alaska would automatically register residents to vote. Alaska Native groups are lining up in favor of Ballot Measure One which aims to increase voter participation among people who are often left out of the political process. It enjoys support from Republicans and Democrats alike. But some conservatives are now speaking out, bringing up the specter of voter fraud.

Reducing barriers to the polls

Northern Minnesota is known for lakes, iron mining and low turnout among Native voters (Photo: Roy Luck via Flickr/CC)

Northern Minnesota is home to seven Anishinaabe reservations. But the Native turnout is typically low. The Native communities are less politically organized than unions and other groups in the traditionally blue-collar mining area of the state.

“Indigenous people – they just don’t care – because they don’t feel like their vote counts,” Renee Van Nett said. She lives in Duluth and is from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. She tried—and failed—to win a Duluth School Board seat last year. She wants the predominant tribes of northern Minnesota to return to their roots of being participants in the political sphere.

“I try to talk to them about that but they just don’t care,” she said. “There’re a lot of us. And we do not vote in high numbers, so that needs to change.”

Navajo Nation officials put their weight behind Clinton

Navajo Nation Vice President Jonathan Nez campaigning for Democrat Hillary Clinton (Photo: courtesty DNC)

Recent polls show Arizona is one of a handful of toss-up states in the U-S presidential election. That could give increased prominence to the Native American vote in the historically red state. Endorsements of Hillary Clinton by Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Vice President Jonathan Nez could be a deciding factor.

Minneapolis voting drive targets urban Native American participation

Minneapolis Minnesota has one of the largest Urban Indian populations in the country. Native people make up between 2 and 3 percent of the city’s population. For some races, that’s a make-or-break number. One organization hopes to improve Native voter turnout by talking about issues important to them, like the protests against the oil pipeline at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservations.

Montana GOP platform wording: a change in recognizing sovereignty?

A one-word change in the Montana state Republican Party platform is leaving some tribal members confused about how the party sees them. Depending on who you ask, it’s either a clarification or chipping away at tribal sovereignty. The Native American Affairs platform plank used to say: “The Montana Republican party supports American Indian Tribal nations and their treaties with the Federal Government.” It now reads “…American Indian Tribal peoples.”

Three months after losing nomination, Bernie Sanders still appeals to Native American voters

Bernie Sanders at a presidential campaign event in New Mexico (File photo: Antonia Gonzales)

Some Native American voters feel they’re being left out in the cold in the presidential election. Former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders was the only one who routinely spoke about issues important to them. Now he’s campaigning for Hillary Clinton.

One family at a Sanders event in Duluth remain hopeful the other candidates will take Sanders’ lead.

Arizona’s 7th Legislative District race is all but decided

Jamescita Peshlakai is the unopposed candidate for the Senate seat in Arizona’s 7th Legsilative District being vacated by Carlyle Begaye (Photo: Peshlakai for Senate)

Arizona’s Seventh Legislative District is gearing up for a new direction. The outcome of the election was all but certain from the beginning. That’s because Democratic state senate candidate Jamescita Peshlakai is running for the seat without any opposition from a major party. The district covers much of the northern and eastern parts of the state that includes several tribal nations.

AFN breaks with tradition by endorsing Clinton for president

By National Native News staff

For the first time in its 50-year history, Alaska’s largest statewide Native organization has endorsed a presidential candidate.

In a statement, the Alaska Federation of Natives said Hillary Clinton is the best choice for president because of her long record of support for native priorities and her “commitment to continued and authentic engagement.”

“The question came down to: do we move forward and continue to build our rights as native people, or do we accept being marginalized as native people and put on the back burner?”, said AFN President Julie Kitka during a joint meeting between leadership from the AFN and the National Congress of American Indians. AFN represents nearly 80,000 people. The organization’s statement never mentions Republican candidate Donald Trump by name.

NCAI’s constitution prevents that organization from endorseing candidates. But, when it came time for the organization’s executive director to speak about work with Alaska Native people, Jacqueline Pata used words that echo the Clinton campaign.

“We’re better when we are together and we’re stronger,” Pata said. She said the organization will not endorse any candidate, but top NCAI leadership personally endorsed Clinton earlier this year.

Coal comes up as a campaign issue in the congressional district with the highest proportion of Native American Voters

Republican Paul Babeua (left) and Democrat Tom O’Halleran are both vying for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District seat.

Native Americans from the Hopi, White Mountain Apache and other tribes make up a quarter of Arizona’s sprawling, mostly rural 1st Congressional District. It’s the district with the largest Native American population in the country. Republican Paul Babeu and Democrat Tom O’Halleran are competing for the district’s open seat. It also includes much of the Navajo Nation, where unemployment is nearly 50 percent. Both candidates have campaigned in the traditionally Democratic-leaning area, and have focused largely on economic issues and job creation.

Special Series: Alaska’s Native Voice

October 27, 2016 By NNN

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The Minto Dance Group at the 2016 Elders and Youth Conference. (Photo-Sven Haakanson)

Alaska’s Native Voice (ANV) is a three-part special, which airs annually in October during KNBA’s gavel-to-gavel broadcast of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) convention. The program, in its fifth year, features engaging discussions on issues facing Alaska Native people. ANV also highlights the First Alaskans Institute’s Elders and Youth Conference, which is held each year in the days prior to AFN. The lunch hour show includes interviews with guests and conference attendees. ANV is hosted and produced by National Native News Anchor Antonia Gonzales and freelance producer Emily Schwing.

Alaska’s Native Voice 2016-Racial Equity: efforts are underway in Alaska to intentionally reshape the dialogue on racism, to raise awareness about healing and seek solutions towards racial equity, which includes examining policy. Guests: Andrea Sanders and Darlene Trigg with First Alaskans Institute. Please note: there were technical difficulties in the live broadcast, which interrupted 12 minutes around 30:46.

“Equity allows for everything that we are. Our cultures, our ways of being, our rights to hunt, fish and gather on our lands. Those things are critical. They’re not separate parts of us, they’re not past times, they’re not hobbies.” –Elizabeth Medicine Crow (President/CEO First Alaskans Institute) on racial equity. “They’re actually what maintains our identity and who we are. That’s a right that we have.”

Alaska’s Native Voice 2016-Emerging Leaders: people from rural and urban areas from across Alaska work on challenges and explore ways to improve the lives of people in their communities, which includes environmental protection and social issues. Tribal and community leaders are among those always looking to the future and future generations. Guests: Greg Bringhurst and Miciana Hutcherson.

“Don’t be afraid to go outside (your community) and learn and come back. Whatever you learn apply it at home, but at the same time when you’re out there working, learning always know where you come from and where you’re going.”-Greg Bringhurst’s (Alaska Native professional) advice to emerging leaders on higher education and careers. “And know you’re always bettering yourself to bring it back home.”

Alaska’s Native Voice 2016-Culture and Communities: culture is an important part of conversations taking place by leaders, community members and those involved in the arts. Talks include teaching traditions to young people and ensuring culture is respected in government policy. Guests: Crystal Worl, Peter Williams, Melissa Shagaloff and Drew Michael.

“We all have a story to tell and it’s connected to the story of our ancestors. We are at an interesting time. We have change happening to our own story, and how we see ourselves, and where we want to go, and art is a tool to help facilitate conversation.” -Drew Michael (artist) on passing on tradition and culture through art. “It’s a good place to start if you want to learn about yourself, your culture, and you’ll learn about your history.”

Elections 2016: Voting for future generations

September 30, 2016 By NNN

National Native News teams up with New Mexico PBS/KNME and Vision Maker Media to highlight the Native vote in 2016. The four-part series focuses on education, economic development, the environment and justice. The segments feature young Native people who discuss the issues and voting.

Part-1: Education

The Obama administration initiative Generation Indigenous was created to increase support and provide opportunities for Native students across the country including in New Mexico. In the first part of Elections 2016: Voting For Future Generations, Native educator Amidooli “Ami” Pacheco (Kewa) shares his thoughts on education and the presidential election.

Part-2: Economic Development

Economic development and job growth, both on tribal lands and in urban areas, is an issue Native voters see in the 2016 elections. In this segment, Henry Jake Foreman (Absentee Shawnee) shares his view on entrepreneurship among Native youth. Foreman created a co-op and supports students who are seeking to bring their business idea into reality.

Part 3- Environment

Protecting the environment is a key issue for some Native voters in New Mexico this election year. In two-stories, we speak with Leona Morgan who played a role in halting uranium mining on Navajo land. We also follow brothers Zachariah and Joe Ben who share insights on the cultural and economic importance of farming in the Shiprock area, which was devastated by the 2015 Gold King Mine waste spill.

Part 4- Justice

In Indian Country, the concept of justice is not just the Western model of policing and the courts. In our final segment of our election series, we hear from Aaron Sims and Jonathan Sims who are playing roles in legal efforts to bring home sacred items to Acoma Pueblo. We also hear from activists who are members of The Red Nation in Albuquerque, which has protested how Native people and other people of color are treated by police.

Judge goes against Standing Rock Tribe, Obama administration steps in

September 9, 2016 By NNN

Protesters in Albuquerque expressed solidarity with people gathered to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline (Photo: Antonia Gonzales)

Many of the people gathered outside the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline expressed to the Bismark Tribune their willingness to keep up the fight. That comes after the ruling Friday by U.S. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg’s decision denying the tribe’s request for an injunction halting construction on procedural grounds. The resistance to the pipeline then got a significant boost, however, from the Obama administration.

The departments of Interior, Justice and the U.S. Army (Corps of Engineers) issued a joint statement saying the Army Corps will not authorize any pipeline construction on their land near Lake Oahe in North Dakota. The statement says “important issues raised by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other tribal nations and their members regarding the Dakota Access pipeline specifically, and pipeline-related decision-making generally, remain.” The statement does deal with construction planned elsewhere, but department officials asked Dakota Access, LLP to voluntarily halt construction 20 miles on either side of Lake Oahe. The departmental release goes on to outline a revised process for tribes to weigh in on similar projects:

“This case has highlighted the need for a serious discussion on whether there should be nationwide reform with respect to considering tribes’ views on these types of infrastructure projects. Therefore, this fall, we will invite tribes to formal, government-to-government consultations…”

The National Congress of American Indians is among the organizations and individuals praising the administration’s actions.

“What I’ve seen in my two visits to Standing Rock is the transformative power Indian Country has when we stand together and speak with one voice to protect our waters, our lands, and our sacred places for future generations. No decision from any court can take away the power of our prayers, our songs, and the collective voice of our peoples. NCAI and all of Indian Country will continue to Stand with Standing Rock,” said NCAI President Brain Cladoosby in a written statement.

The administration’s promise to work more with tribes is also mentioned as impetus for at least one member of Congress to travel to the Standing Rock site. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, released a statement that he will pay a visit to North Dakota in solidarity with the tribe and intends to meet with Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault.

“Despite the federal government’s legal trust responsibility to ensure federally permitted projects do not threaten historically or culturally significant tribal places, the trust lands of tribal nations, or the waters that run through them, the Standing Rock Sioux were never consulted about the DAPL,” Grijalva said in a written release.

Decision day: National Guard activated and an appeal for calm

September 9, 2016 By NNN

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Boats from Pacific Northwest tribes made their way down the Missouri River from Bismark to Sacred Stone Camp (Photo: Sacred Stone Camp Facebook)

A floating caravan of boats from Pacific Northwest tribes were welcomed by whoops of encouragement as they arrived at the Sacred Stone Camp near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. A helicopter hovered above as the boaters made landfall.

Just hours before, North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple activated the state’s National Guard to help provide security along with local law enforcement in areas where the protesters and construction crews cross paths.

“Public safety has always been and continues to be paramount,” Dalrymple said at a press conference. “We must make sure that peace is maintained.”

The increasing tension has tribal leaders urging calm.

“We’re here to stand strong with unity and prayer and when we do that that’s a lot more powerful than if we do something that’s irresponsible,” said Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault.

Both sides — the tribe and the company backing the Dakota Access Pipeline construction– have vowed to appeal a judge’s ruling if the decision is not in their favor. The ruling will determine whether the Army Corps of Engineers violated a section of the National Historic Preservation Act that calls for consultation with tribes prior to any development that may affect tribal lands. The tribe claims construction has already disturbed culturally significant sites.

Meanwhile, supporters of the project insist modern technology makes the Dakota Access Pipeline the safest way to transport oil compared to trucks or trains cars. North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness says the development is also a good way to generate tax revenue for the state. He says even if the tribe manages to stop the pipeline in court, development of the oil is inevitable.

“This oil’s going to get produced, there’s absolutely no question,” Ness said. “This oil’s being produced today. I think the pipleline continues.”

If it’s built, the Dakota Access Pipeline would transfer more than a half million barrels of crude oil a day from North Dakota to Illinois.

By Jenni Monet

Oil and water: tensions over the Dakota Access Pipeline play out in the courts and on on the ground

September 7, 2016 By NNN

Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault (Photo: screen capture from the Standing Rock Sioux Facebook live stream)

CANNON BALL, SOUTH DAKOTA – The debate over the Dakota Access Pipeline is taking place on several fronts, including two courtrooms and work sites near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. In Washington D.C. on Tuesday, a federal judge granted only a partial stop on the North Dakota pipeline work. U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg ruled the company must halt construction on a portion of land where he believes the Army Corps of Engineers lacks jurisdiction. The Standing Rock chairman expressed disappointment the scope of the order does not cover the main area requested by the tribe.

The judge’s ruling stems from excavation work the previous weekend in an area tribal officials say is culturally and historically significant. The work prompted confrontations between activists and security guards hired by Dakota Access, LLP, the company building the $3.7 billion pipeline. The guards used dogs and pepper spray against dozens of people who scaled a fence in an attempt to stop the construction work.

Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault said the partial denial of the restraining order puts the tribe’s sacred places at further risk of ruin and undermines tribal sovereignty.

“We are disappointed that the U.S. District Court’s decision does not prevent (the Dakota Access Pipeline) from destroying our sacred sites as we await a ruling on our original motion to stop construction of the pipeline,” Archambault said in a written release. The judge is expected to rule by Friday on whether federal officials adequately consulted with tribes before issuing permits to build the pipeline.

Meanwhile, support for the protest continues to pour in from other tribes, celebrities and political figures. The Canadian Assembly of First Nations issued a statement condemning what it calls the pipeline company’s “human rights violations.” The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues calls on the U.S. government to provide a “fair, independent, impartial, open and transparent process” to resolve the issue and to avoid escalation into violence and further human rights abuses. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein faces possible charges for spray-painting pipeline construction equipment. Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne promised to donate proceeds from a recent album to the tribes opposing the pipeline.

Meanwhile the company building the pipeline accuses the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of encouraging “illegal conduct” by protesters. In a court filing this week, Dakota Access, LLP said protesters have broken fences, trespassed on private land and issued threats of physical violence against construction workers and other employees.

By Jenni Monet

Bismark Tribune: Dakota Access company lacks construction permission on Army Corps land

August 26, 2016 By NNN

The Dakota Access Pipeline under construction in South Dakota (Photo: Lars Plougmann via Flickr/CC)

The backers of the Dakota Access oil pipeline lack a key easement to complete construction. The Bismark Tribune reports Army Corps of Engineers officials confirm Energy Transfer Partners does not have a written easement to build on Corps property. A Corps spokesman tells the paper the agency issued permission for the easement to be written, but that is still under review. The Des Moines Register reports the pipeline is nearly a quarter of the way built in that state.

Meanwhile Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is supporting the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the other tribal nations fighting construction of the oil pipeline. The former presidential candidate compared the 3.7-billion dollar pipeline to the failed Keystone XL pipeline proposal, which he also opposed. Sanders says the U.S. needs to find more renewable sources of energy, rather than oil derived from fracking.

Nearly 90 tribal nations have declared their support to those working to halt the pipeline since the Army Corps cleared construction of the 1,100-mile pipeline from North Dakota to Illinois. Hundreds of people from all over the country are gathered just outside the Standing Rock Reservation in opposition to the start of construction there. A federal judge is expected to rule within the next two weeks on Standing Rock’s request for an injunction against the pipeline plan on procedural grounds. The pipeline company, Dakota Access LLC, also won a temporary restraining order against Standing Rock officials and other protesters.

Family, friends and activists keep pressure on police officials over shooting death of Loreal Tsingine

August 3, 2016 By NNN

Sarah Morris carries a picture of her granddaughter, Loreal Tsingine, as she marches with other protestors in Winslow, Ariz. (Photo: Antonia Gonzales)

Family, community members and advocates marched in downtown Winslow, Arizona Friday, July 29, to protest the recent decision by a county attorney not to file charges against the officer involved in the fatal shooting of Loreal Tsingine. The Navajo woman from Teesto, about 44 miles north of Winslow on the Navajo Nation.

“We’re mad,” said Tsingine’s grandmother Sarah Morris. “I don’t care what people say, but we’re mad.” Morris is among family members calling for officer Austin Shipley to be removed from the Winslow police force.

“They’re not doing the right thing,” she said. “If it’s a police man, they’re supposed to care for these people here instead of shooting them right there.”

Shipley shot Tsingine five times last March during an altercation that escalated from a shoplifting complaint. He says she threatened him with a pair of scissors. The Maricopa County Attorney’s office found no evidence of criminal conduct on the part of officer Shipley.

Morris and about 100 other people marched a half mile from city hall to the police complex on the windy, 100-degree day. Many held signs reading “Justice 4 Loreal,” “Stop Violence Against Natives” and “Shipley Must Go to Jail.” Morris held a large poster-size photo of her granddaughter. Cars drove by a makeshift memorial where flowers and candles sit on a sidewalk near the convenience store where Tsingine died.

Body-camera footage, released by the police department just days earlier, shows Shipley throwing Tsingine to the ground as he tries to arrest her. Tsingine stands up and Shipley draws his weapon and aims it at her. A second officer comes up behind her. She walks toward Shipley, apparently holding scissors. The video ends before Shipley fires the fatal shots.

“She didn’t deserve to die like that,” said Alta Barnell, a cousin of Tsingine. At the protest, Barnell helped carry a large framed picture of her cousin holding a child. Tsingine leaves behind a daughter named Tiffany.

Barnell, who has four daughters of her own, says it’s hard knowing her niece will grow up without a mother.

[soliloquy id=”4367″]

Another cousin, Janice Yazzie, questions the police tactics used on the petite 27-year-old woman.

“She was just the kind of person that, you know, even though she was in a bad place she always made room in her life to think of other people. We just need justice for her that’s all,” Yazzie said.

The march ended in front of the police department as heavy rain came down. The crowd gathered around a microphone as people took turns talking.

Family members, the advocacy group Red Nation and Navajo leaders vowed at the protest to seek justice for the family, which includes calls for a federal review.

A U.S. Justice Department spokesperson says its Civil Rights Division will conduct a review of the local investigation into the shooting.

Native American voters weigh choices for president

May 27, 2016 By NNN

Native American voters were among the hundreds of people who turned out to hear former President Bill Clinton speak in Albuquerque Wednesday, May 25. Clinton made stops in New Mexico to rally support for his wife Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid. It’s one of several high profile candidate appearances ahead of the state’s primary June 7th.
Tom Frenchman was among those attending the Albuquerque event. He said he supports the entire Clinton family.

“I’m from the Delaware Tribe. I grew up in Arkansas and I can’t wait for him to be the first gentleman,” Frenchman said.

Alfred Bennett, Navajo, is an undecided voter. He was at the event urging people to learn more about Social Security.
Bennett says he’d like to see the next president tackle some of the many issues facing tribes.

“There’s a lot of complex problems on all the reservations,” Bennett said. “We all have different problems and different issues. The main thing right now is keeping our status as Native nations separate from all the other minorities that are here. All I can say is a lot of the treaties they broke.

Treaties were also on the mind of one member of the audience who interrupted Clinton shortly after he started his speech. Joanne Spotted Bear, a Lakota woman, shouted her complaints about the federal government’s poor record on honoring treaties. Clinton engaged in a short conversation with Spotted Bear from the podium, saying he intended cover that topic. He did later mention treaties and he touched on Native American issues such as poverty and economic development. His speech mostly stuck to issues of education, immigration reform and the economy.

Clinton’s visit was relatively calm compared to the riotous response just a day earlier for the presumed Republican nominee Donald Trump. Four protestors were arrested and several police officers were injured in clashes over Trump’s appearance in Albuquerque Tuesday, May 24. Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders also appeared in Albuquerque and Santa Fe and met with tribal leaders the previous week.

Donald Trump greeted by protest and support at New Mexico rally

May 25, 2016 By NNN

Moreso than other presidential candidates, Republican Donald Trump’s visit to New Mexico was met with strong resistance. Protestors gathered behind steel barricades outside the Albuquerque Convention Center long before the presumed GOP presidential nominee started speaking inside. Trump’s conservative message, that includes a promise to build a wall along the Mexican border, rubs many in the mostly blue, heavily Latino state the wrong way.

Still, a diverse crowd that included Native American voters turned up on both sides of the Trump rally.

Jairo Marquez works to dispel comments by the candidate (Photo: Antonia Gonzales)

Jairo Marquez was among protestors behind the barricade.

“I have a big sign that says ‘Hug a Mexican,’ Marquez said. “And I want either side to hug me. I’m giving out hugs. I’m not really trying to choose sides here. I’m just trying to stick to the point that I don’t like what Trump said that we’re all rapists and criminals.

Standing next to Marquez was a group of women—three generations—representing the Pawnee, Ponca and Comanche tribes of Oklahoma.

“We’re here because Donald Trump does not support our values,” said Marisa Page. “He’s not good. He’s not going to make America great again,” she said, referring to Trumps main campaign slogan.

Alexis Jimenez was also among the group of Native women. They held signs reading “Never Trump” and “America is better than Trump.”

“Be sure to vote; you have to vote,” Jimenez said. “Your vote counts in every single election. Every level of government. If you don’t vote you’re hurting yourself and your people if you’re not taking part in these elections.”

Sacheen Smith’s sign read “dooda Trump,” which means “no Trump” in Navajo.

“I honestly don’t understand how anyone of a minority background could go for Trump,” Smith said. “Actually my aunt is a Trump supporter so there have been a lot of family squabbles,” she added with a laugh. “I believe in what (Democratic candidate Bernie) Sanders stands for. We got to look out for climate change, and the middle class and every person—minority, disabled, women—everybody.”

A family from the Four Corners area of New Mexico shows their support for Donald Trump (Photo: Antonia Gonzales)

Meanwhile, inside the convention center a crowd of about 4,000 people gathered to hear Trump’s message. Among them was Mary Louie Row, a Navajo from Cuba, New Mexico.

“I just wanted to see him—what kind of a person he is,” Row said. “And if he’s going to do what he said he’s going to do.”

Colbert Sherman, a Navajo from Gallup, see’s Trump as an answer to his concerns about crime.

“I’m a Democrat,” he said. “I ain’t voting this year for the Democratic Party in the general election. I will vote for Trump. I don’t care for Bernie Sanders, I don’t care for Hillary Clinton.”

Nehemiah Tsosie, a Navajo from Kirtland, wore a “Trump for President” shirt to the event. He says he’s a conservative, and is concerned about the industry he relies on for his livelihood.

“I am supporting Trump because he is for the coal industry and I work at the coal mine,” Tsosie said. “The thing is a lot of people are getting laid off at the coal mine. Right now the employment is kind of shaky, especially with the coal mine, especially with the Clean Air Act.”

As night fell, the protest outside the rally turned violent as a group of activists started small fires and threw rocks and bottles at police. Four people were arrested immediately after the event and several officers were treated for minor injuries.