Native Americans are more impacted by the law than any other group in the United States. Native students in higher education, or seeking a higher education, in particular are impacted by federal and state laws impacting funding for education, such as Pell Grants, student loans, and federal funding for tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), 70% of which comes from federal sources. To ensure Native students, community members, and their allies are represented and heard at all levels of government, the American Indian College Fund is launching its “Make Native Voice Heard—Vote!” campaign to encourage Native people to register and vote on Tuesday, November 5.

In addition to ensuring Native voices are heard with regard to higher education, voting also gives Indigenous communities representation within laws and policies that guide Native nations, including housing, healthcare, early childhood education, energy programs, and reservation infrastructure. Other critical issues such as the high rate of missing and murdered Indigenous women, environmental protections, and economic development necessitate that Native voices are heard at every level of government.

One hundred years ago on June 2, 1914, the federal government unilaterally extended U.S. citizenship to Native Americans with the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act. As dual citizens of their tribal nations and the United States, members of federally recognized tribes have the right to register and participate in both non-tribal (federal, state, and local) elections and tribal elections to decide who should represent them.

Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, “Native people were often deterred from exercising that right, and continually litigated for that right to be honored. Only in 1958, 38 years after the Indian Citizenship Act, did Native voters participate in elections in all 50 states. By voting in tribal, local, state, and national elections, Native people exercise their legal right to vote and honor the ancestors that fought for it, while ensuring we have a say in our futures as Native people and sovereign nations.”

To make Native voices heard and to exercise the right to vote, every Native citizen must register to do so in their state of permanent residence. The College Fund’s Make Native Voices Heard webpage shares information on how to register to vote in every state at https://collegefund.org/vote/register/.

As part of the campaign, the College Fund will also share information about how to make a voting plan and ways voting impacts Native communities in big ways. Native students, tribal college presidents, faculty, and staff and others are also invited to share their reasons for voting and voting plan in blogs and videos at https://collegefund.org/vote/. It is also offering $500 awards to TCU students who are leading voter education events.