{"id":11327,"date":"2020-12-22T11:52:37","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T16:52:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/native-legislators-seek-to-hold-their-ground-in-montana\/"},"modified":"2020-12-22T11:52:38","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T16:52:38","slug":"native-legislators-seek-to-hold-their-ground-in-montana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/native-legislators-seek-to-hold-their-ground-in-montana\/","title":{"rendered":"Native Legislators seek to \u201cHold Their Ground\u201d in Montana"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Representative Sharon Stewart-Peregory<\/strong>
(Photo Courtesy: Montana Public Radio, mtpr.org<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In the upcoming Montana Legislative session, beginning January 4th<\/sup>, veteran tribal legislators say that the Indian Caucus will be fortunate to hold on to gains in previous legislatures for Montana Tribes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are operating under a super majority and have to spend our small political capital wisely\u201d said Senator Jason Small (R) serving his second term in the district which contains both the Crow and Cheyenne reservations. Small, the sole Native republican chaired the Tribal Caucus for the past two years.<\/p>\n

The Montana Legislature is now roughly 70% Republican.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur challenge will be getting heard during this climate of less government and taxes\u201d explained Representative Sharon Stewart-Peregory, Crow. Peregoy in her third term has previously served in both the Senate and House of Representatives. \u00a0A member of the State Rules Committee, she is already battling to ensure that bills receive a hearing and due legislative process.<\/p>\n

While Montana\u2019s Indian population is 6.7% of the state, only eleven Natives have been elected to the Montana State Legislature.\u00a0 In addition to Small, the lone Republican and Peregoy that includes Senator Shane Morigeau (Flathead); Senator Susan Webber (Blackfeet); Senator Mike Fox (Fort Peck); Representative Marvin Weatherwax (Blackfeet); Representative Tyson Running Wolf (Blackfeet); Representative Jonothan Windy Boy (Rocky Boy); Representative Rynaela Whiteman Pena (Northern Cheyenne); Representative Frank Smith (Fort Peck) and Representative Donovan Hawk, Butte.\u00a0 Morigeau, Webber, Weatherwax and Windy Boy are seasoned legislatures while the others are new-comers to State politics.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a little while to learn the ropes in the State Legislature.\u00a0 Give and take and working across the aisle is often necessary to achieve you goals\u201d Small noted, \u201cbut in the past and hopefully now the Indian caucus has stuck together regardless of Tribal or party affiliation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Key to their efforts will be saving the State Tribal Economic Development Program Small (STEDC) and Peregoy both agreed.\u00a0 Under that State funded grants (ICED) are provided to individual Indian entrepreneurs to stimulate private sector economic development on the Montana reservations, a loan program and the STED Commission which meets regularly to advise on State-Tribal relations and to propose legislation helpful and necessary to the Tribes.\u00a0 \u201cOtherwise, anything with a price tag may be hard to come by in this Republican dominated climate,\u201d Small predicted.<\/p>\n

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(Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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The post Native Legislators seek to \u201cHold Their Ground\u201d in Montana<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Representative Sharon Stewart-Peregory(Photo Courtesy: Montana Public Radio, mtpr.org) In the upcoming Montana Legislative session, beginning January 4th, veteran tribal legislators say that the Indian Caucus will be fortunate to hold on to gains in previous legislatures for Montana Tribes. \u201cWe are operating under a super majority and have to spend <\/p>\n

Read More<\/a>
Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> December 22, 2020<\/p>\n

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