The Oklahoman Editorial

February 14, 2007

A Tulsa-based Indian political advocacy group endorsed four candidates for the Legislature in 2006. All are Democrats. All won.

But they represent only a fraction of the Indians in the Legislature, where the Native American Caucus has grown from 11 members last year to 18. The reason the advocacy group didn't endorse more candidates is that it's not so much interested in electing Indians as it is in swelling the ranks of liberal Democrats who happen to be Native Americans.

The Native American Caucus has 11 Republicans (including one black). Doubtless there are other lawmakers with some Indian blood, but the caucus itself doesn't yet include them. Rep. Lisa Billy, R-Purcell (of Chickasaw/Choctaw heritage) is a driving force behind the caucus. Its reason for being, she told the Tulsa World, is "to spread the word about what Oklahoma's numerous Indian tribes are doing, especially in the area of economic development.”

The tribes have been doing a pretty good job of that themselves, building not only casinos but paying for state highway improvements and health care initiatives, among other public works.

That a majority of caucus members are Republicans might come as a surprise, given that Indian campaign donations have trended toward Democrats. But this isn't your grandfather's tribe. Today's Native American governments are run on a business-like basis.

Like the executives who run for-profit firms, tribal leaders want to succeed in business and are thus natural allies with the pro-business GOP. Nevertheless, it would be a reach to say the caucus is a group of Indians who happen to be legislators. It's more a case of lawmakers who happen to be Indian — and are proud of it.

The aforementioned political group states its mission is to elect Indians because "only when Indians are involved in the political process are they truly represented.” Yet the group itself doesn't represent Indians unless they vote Democratic.