PRESS STATEMENT ON THE AFN BOARD’S ENDORSEMENT OF HILLARY CLINTON
Yesterday the Alaska Federation of Natives board of directors voted to endorse Hillary Clinton for U.S. President, a first in the organization’s half-century of giving voice to the Alaska Native community’s cultural, economic, and political priorities.
We are at a critical juncture in our national election and in our country’s history. We are faced with a stark choice as to who will lead our nation and what direction we, as a country, will go.
With only 20 days until the Presidential election on November 8th, the choice we have is this: 1) to elect a president who will continue working with us to achieve further self-determination and legal empowerment as sovereign, self-governing Indigenous peoples, with a firm foothold in the larger economy and strong Native institutions, full of hope and confidence for our children and grandchildren; OR 2) to elect a president who will lead our federal government down the path of marginalizing Native Americans and dramatically weakening the special trust relationship between Native Americans and the federal government, putting at risk all the gains we have achieved in our lifetime.
The decision we make in November will have serious and immediate consequences for our nation and most especially for our people.
The AFN Board made the bold choice to endorse Hillary Clinton to be President because we care about our children, the future of our communities, and the future of our nation. Hillary Clinton has demonstrated by her actions and her priorities that she is the right leader for our people. She has committed to continue working directly with us, to honor the special trust relationship between Indigenous peoples and the federal government, and to open the door and welcome Native Americans into her Administration with respect and a genuine commitment to working together.
Hillary Clinton’s priorities are so much in line with our community’s priorities that the board was compelled to break with tradition. AFN and many of our members have long held policies of non-endorsement when it comes to presidential elections, and some Board members abstained because they needed further internal discussions with their groups. Overall the AFN Board voted decisively to endorse Hillary Clinton as the best choice for President of the United States. The AFN board urges Alaska Natives to make their voices heard on November 8th.
Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton has a long record of supporting Alaska Native and American Indian priorities, and has made clear her plans and commitment to continued and authentic engagement.
Click here to see the Board Resolution endorsing Hillary Clinton.