Democrats hear Native American views
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PABLO — The Montana Democratic Party kicked off its 2014 Spring Statewide Native American Community Lunches tour at Salish Kootenai College on May 27.
Andrea Marcoccio, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party, greeted about 40 community members, activists, candidates and party leaders.
Anna Whiting Sorrell, who served as director of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services under former Governor Brian Schweitzer and now is director of the Billing Area Indian Health Service, was one of the leaders who spoke.
Sorrell said Indian people need someone to represent them. She mentioned a whole set of Republicans who are against Medicare expansion.
“They don’t like President Obama because he is a person of color,” Sorrell said.
“Obama’s done amazing things for Indian people,” Sorrell added, citing the American Reorganization and Reinvestment Act and the Affordable Care Act.
She urged Democrats to step up and include Indians in their inner circle and added that she thinks where most things get done is at a local level.
“Every election is the most important,” Sorrell said.
Lake County Democratic Chair Caryn Kallay said the party is gearing up for the primary.
“Money helps but bodies help more,” Kallay said, for calling, knocking on doors and getting people registered to vote.
Candidates Lea Whitford, Democratic candidate for Senate District 8 and Joey Jayne, a non-partisan candidate for Justice Court Judge, also spoke to the group.
Whitford, mother of three, a Blackfeet tribal member and tribal planner for the Blackfeet Tribe, said she supports community and tribal colleges, public education and Head Start.
“It’s my responsibility (as a legislator) to ensure we have those resources available across the state,” she said.
The 2012 legislature set aside money for language preservation, Whitford said.
“I want to assure you — Republicans or Democrats — legislators look at their messages so get in touch,” she said, encouraging the crowd to communicate with their legislators.
Jayne said she served as a Democratic legislator, even though she is running for the non-partisan position of Justice of the Peace.
She’s been in the job for 17 months, and both she and her opponent Randal Owens will advance to the general election in November.
Owens is a Montana Highway Patrol sergeant, and Jayne said, “I always say, ‘He writes the tickets, and I dismiss them.’”
About 90 percent of the criminal cases in district court are Native, Jayne said.
In Justice Court, Jayne said there have been people in her court who shouldn’t be there.
Since Justice Court has no personal and subject jurisdiction over enrolled tribal members, she said, “Show me your (tribal) ID, and I’ll sign off.”
“It’s so important that I am there, because I believe in justice for all,” Jayne added.
The 2014 spring Statewide Native American Community Lunch will include stops on all seven reservations around Montana.
