After generations of being turned away at election booths, American Indians have emerged as a critical voting bloc for local, state and even national political candidates. A recent example in Washington state was in 2000 when Maria Cantwell credited tribal voters with helping her oust longtime U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton. Tribal governments said Gorton’s initiatives would limit their sovereignty. Indian voters here were angry enough to cast their ballots in favor of his opponent.
