By American Indian Studies professors at Long Beach State shared their thoughts on former President Donald J. Trump’s re-election.
Kelly Stewart, a professor of American Indian Studies, said many in the program have viewed the results with a mixture of resolve and disappointment.
“For me, this election outcome signals potential setbacks for Indigenous communities, both on campus and across the country, as it reinforces a divisive political climate where Native issues are unlikely to receive attention,” Stewart said.
It has been a century since Native Americans were given the right to vote, and since then, they have been a key demographic in elections.
During the 2020 election, voters contributed to a shift that made Arizona a Democratic state, which has not happened since the 1996 election.
According to NBC News exit polls, about 34% of Native Americans identified as a Democrat during the 2024 general election.
In comparison, 65% identified as Republican in ten key states. However, this poll and other news outlets recently received backlash with claims that there is a misrepresentation of Native communities.
In a post, IllumiNative, a Native rights non-profit organization, pointed out the sample size was too small: Only 229 Native Americans responded in an exit poll.
The organization recommends being critical of what someone sees online, something Professor of American Indian Studies Thomas Reed agreed on.
“When people were making statements like ‘Oh, this is how Native people voted,’ I would say we should be skeptical. We should be highly critical of sample pools like that,” Reed said.
Stewart said that with the incoming Trump administration Indigenous communities should brace for times when their voices may be marginalized but assured their resilience will guide them to fight for recognition and justice.
Additionally, she said President-elect Trump is reluctant to confront America’s colonial and expansionist legacy and is against addressing present issues, such as injustices of the Indigenous communities by the federal government.
“Locally, this may translate into reduced resources for Indigenous students and programs, directly affecting educational pathways and support systems critical for fostering Native identity,” Stewart said
Along with Stewart, Reed also highlighted issues that may impact the Indigenous community, such as land, water and healthcare rights.
When he attended the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, which took place from April 2016 to February 2017, Reed said a wide-ranging concern was who would protect the water, which may be brought up moving forward.
“When I was there, there’d be this chant that people would say, ‘Water is life, you can’t drink oil,’” Reed said. “There’s this notion that it’s not a matter of if; it’s when those pipelines break, the water becomes undrinkable. The land becomes unusable.”
He said the perspective on these matters vary depending on the tribal nation and the person’s age, economic status and educational level.
“Even within my own family, we have different views,” Reed said.
Reed said people should be the change they want to see in the world. When it comes to understanding Native people on the matter of the election results, he said that just being a good friend and showing appreciation helps to support and educate.
“We can either sit on the sidelines and watch things go a certain way, or we can show up to make a change on a local level, which can then lead to a national level,” Reed said. “Whoever is president, I want the best for seven generations to come. I want the best for all our people.”
