UINO announces “Warrior Up To Vote” rally at quarterly meeting

(MIAMI, Okla.) On June 18, the United Indian Nations of Oklahoma (UINO) held its quarterly meeting at Buffalo Run Casino with Tribal leaders to discuss issues around Tribal sovereignty and voting participation in Oklahoma. 

UINO announced its ‘Warrior Up to Vote’ rally, which will take place ahead of the November general election, in partnership with the National Congress of American Indians and its ‘Every Native Vote Counts’ campaign. According to the National Congress of American Indians, Oklahoma has the largest proportion of eligible Native American voters in the US.

“Having great communication and conversation about things–there's always an opportunity to work together and champion things together,” Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Charles McCall said at the event. McCall is a fifth-generation Atoka Native.

“I consider it an honor to live in such a great state,” he added. “I'm thinking over the last eight years of being Oklahoma Speaker of the House and [the] opportunity to work with the Tribal Nations across the state, and we have done some great things together.”

UINO was created to hold a space for Tribal Nations to come together, work together, and become more informed on issues that are impacting Indian Country while protecting and enhancing Tribal sovereignty in Oklahoma.

“Sovereignty is given by the relationship through treaties or executive orders [of] Congress,” said executive director of UINO, Marco Gray. “Every tribe is unique to themselves. They all have unique language, customs, and culture, and it brings that diversity to the State of Oklahoma.”

Larry Wright Jr., executive director of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, talked in depth about how the results of upcoming elections will impact Tribal sovereignty.

“Whether it's in Tribal elections, state elections, or most importantly, federal elections, every vote we can get from Indian Country counts,” he explained. “We are aware that Tribal Nations and the federal government have a special relationship, and that individuals elected to Congress and the White House can have an impact on events in Indian Country. Therefore, it is important for our people to be aware of the candidates' backgrounds, ideologies, and issues they will support–regardless of their party.”

NCAI was established in 1944 as a nonprofit advocacy group for the rights of American Indians and Alaska Natives, and is the oldest and largest organization of its kind.