In rejecting the direction President Donald Trump took the country in the past two years, voters also sent a record number of Native Americans to elected office. Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo), who made history as the first Native American cabinet secretary, makes history a second time as the first Native woman elected governor. Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Band of Ojibwe) is the first Native woman in the U.S. Senate. Claire Valdez (Ysleta del sur Pueblo) breezed to her seat in New York. She joins fellow Native U.S. Reps. Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk), D-Kansas, Tom Cole (Chickasaw), R-Oklahoma, and Josh Brecheen (Choctaw), R-Oklahoma, in the U.S. House. In races too close to call, both Mary Peltola (Yup’ik) in Alaska and Jonathan Nez (Navajo) in Arizona have slim leads in their attempts to flip their respective Republican incumbents. In addition, the balance of power in Congress has shifted, offering a check on initiatives coming from the executive branch. We’ll find out what the electoral wins and losses mean for going forward and get a look at what remains in the balance.
GUESTS
Ruth Buffalo (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation), former North Dakota State Representative from Fargo, North Dakota and the first Native American woman elected to the North Dakota Legislature
Allen Wright (Choctaw), president and founder of the Hustings Group
Joaqlin Estus (Tlingit), longtime journalist and former ICT correspondent
Jeanette DeDios (Jicarilla Apache and Diné), KUNM Radio reporter
Hannah Bissett (Knik Tribe), deputy finance manager and fundraising specialist at Ship Creek Group
Break 1 Music: Victory Song (song) All Lead Singers Home Of The Champions (artist) Home Of The Champions (album)
Break 2 Music: Put Your Feathers On (song) Blue Moon Marquee & Northern Cree (artist) Get Your Feathers Ready (Album)
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