The Daily Oklahoman (May 15, 2006)

By Michael McNutt
Capitol Bureau

Group supports Indians in office

Kalyn Free is working to make sure more American Indians get a chance to do as she did and seek political office.
 
"Indians especially here in Oklahoma can have a tremendous impact on the political structure and on races," said Free, a Tulsa lawyer and 2004 congressional candidate. "We have not quite honestly flexed that muscle in Oklahoma to any real degree of certainty, but the possibility's there."

Free, a Choctaw Nation member, is principal organizer of the Indigenous Democratic Network and its campaign financing arm known as INDN's List. It is modeled after EMILY'S List, which in 2004 supported liberal female candidates including Free.
The group's mission is to elect Indians and Democrats.
"What we want to be able to do is to mobilize the Indian voters and Democratic voters to turn out and vote for candidates who may not be Indian, but who care about the same things that Indian Country cares about and care about the same thing that Democrats care about," she said.

The Democratic Party has the same values as Indians -- taking care of the elderly, children and those less fortunate, providing health care and protecting the environment and Social Security, she said.
"It makes sense that we align ourselves with the Democratic Party," said Free, 42.

However, 10 of the 13 Indians in the state House of Representatives are Republican. One state senator identified as an Indian is a Republican.

Free, one of 75 at-large members of the Democratic National Committee, said: "The Republican Party has no qualms or no problems, unfortunately, finding their token candidates to put up to run for public office. Indians are traditionally Democratic both in Oklahoma and across the country. Clearly 85 percent of the national Indian vote goes to Democrats; in some areas it's as high as 95 percent."

State Rep. Lisa Billy, R-Purcell, said Indians in Oklahoma are identifying more with the Republican Party.
"Native American people are conservative by nature," she said.
"I prefer less government interference in my life as a Native American," Billy said. "We've seen the effects of government on my race of people, and it hasn't always been positive."
Billy, who helped organize the Native American Caucus, said the number of Indian legislators today could be the most serving at any one time.

Billy, elected in 2004 and who previously served six years as a Chickasaw tribal legislator, said the Native American Caucus is a bipartisan effort open to all legislators. In the House, the goal is to educate members about tribes and get legislators acquainted with tribes in their districts, she said.
Billy applauds Free's efforts.

"We absolutely need more people to be active," Billy said. "Hopefully I'm doing that in my district, whether they be Native American, European or whatever race they are."
Free had hoped to be the first American Indian woman in Congress. She was elected district attorney for Haskell and Pittsburg counties in 1998 and resigned in 2002 to run for Congress. But redistricting occurred and she would have had to run against incumbent Brad Carson, a Democrat, so she sat out that year's congressional race.
When Carson opted to run for U.S. Senate in 2004, she ran for his 2nd Congressional District seat. She lost the Democratic primary to eventual winner Dan Boren.

Her organization, which started in February 2005, will sponsor a training for candidates from diverse backgrounds June 10 in Tulsa. Speakers will include U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., and a former vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

In Oklahoma, the group is supporting at least two legislative candidates this year. INDN's List gave $2,500 each to Scott Bighorse of Pawhuska, who is seeking the District 36 House seat, and to Charles Hoskin of Vinita, who is seeking the District 6 House seat.
The organization also is backing first-time legislative candidates in California, Washington and Minnesota.