Why It Matters Who We Elect 

New Mexico Tribes and Pueblos face many similar and alarming disparities affecting our nations, tribal lands, and environment. Our tribal communities also need to preserve social issues such as healthcare, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security for the well-being of our people. 

We continuously face encroachment by state and local governments who disregard tribal sovereignty and Native preservation. The need for tribal input and tribal consultation is tantamount to the well-being of our people. For example, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) development is State-wide, and everyone’s healthcare will be affected if safety regulations are not in place.

Now more than ever, Indigenous People need to be heard on the issues that affect our lives. If we are going to protect what matters to us most, we need to be involved in electing strong progressive candidates who will advance our issues of concern.

New Mexico has a large Indigenous population that commonly votes democrat.  As a voting bloc, we can best represent ourselves on issues that we care about as future generations will be affected by the decisions we make at the polls. If Indigenous People’s issues are to be successful, we need to organize our votes to support Indigenous causes. We cannot expect any other political group to fight and support our issues. This is why Indigenous votes matter. 

Elected local and state officers can create laws that directly impact our tribal communities. They can determine budgets, pass legislation, and create regulations and ordinances that will impact our health, water, tribal lands and air quality. It is our responsibility to elect state representatives who will listen to our concerns, protect our rights, and ensure our safety. 

Local, state, and federal budgets are determined by the people we elect. Year after year, the issues that matter most to us as Indigenous People are threatened by elected officials who put profit before persons. If we want our government to work for us, we must VOTE in order to become an effective part of the political process!