October 30, 2016

​Donald J. Trump Announces Native American Coalition

LAS VEGAS, NV - Today, Donald J. Trump is pleased to announce his Native American Coalition. These women and men are grassroots leaders and elected officials who engage on relevant issues with the Native American community and are actively working to elect Donald J. Trump president.

The Chair of the Native American Coalition, U.S. Representative Markwayne Mullin, had this to say: "The daily flood of new federal regulations keep Indian Country from becoming self-sufficient. Local tribal decisions, not federal bureaucrats, are the best way to improve our communities. As both an enrolled member of Cherokee Nation and a Member of Congress, I will stand with Donald Trump in supporting tribal sovereignty and reining in federal overregulation."

Honorary Chair Fleming Begaye, Sr., one of America's revered Navajo Code Talkers, said, “Native Americans need a federal government that gets out of the way of small business. As an independent and a successful small businessman, I crossed the line this week and voted for Mr. Trump.”

“As a local elected official, I am outraged that Indian Country is prevented from harnessing our own energy resources by ever-increasing regulations,” says New Mexico State Representative Sharon Clachischillage. “The Trump Administration will ease restrictions on American energy reserves worth trillions of dollars. Together we will block the bureaucrats holding Native American businesses back and bring new jobs into our communities.”

Ross Swimmer is the former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and Special Trustee for American Indians at DOJ: "Hillary Clinton's war on coal interferes with our sovereign right to develop energy on native lands. We need a new traffic cop so the federal government stops playing gatekeeper with Tribal economies.”

Former Poarch Band of Creek Indian Chairman Eddie Tullis finished by saying: "Hillary Clinton favors union bosses over Tribal authority in labor matters. Instead, native communities should be treated like state governments when it comes to labor."

The Native American Coalition for Trump includes U.S. Representative Markwayne Mullin as chair, Navajo Code Talker Fleming Begaye, Sr. as Honorary Chair, three co-chairs, and a growing number of Coalition members and supporters (27 announced today and others in the future). Fifteen states are represented in this coalition. These leaders are advising Mr. Trump and Governor Pence on issues relevant to Indian Country.


Native American Coalition
:
Chair: U.S. Representative Markwayne Mullin (Cherokee), Oklahoma
Honorary Chair: Fleming Begaye, Sr., Navajo Code Talker (Navajo), Arizona


Co-Chairs:
New Mexico State Representative Sharon Clachischillage (Navajo), New Mexico
The Honorable Ross Swimmer(Cherokee), Oklahoma
Former Poarch Band of Creek Indian Chairman Eddie Tullis (Poarch Band Creek), Alabama


Members of the Coalition:
Debra Kilgore, Alabama
Amy Begay, Arizona
Gloria Esquerra, Arizona
Trenton Nez, Arizona
Tanya Yazzie, Arizona
Laurie Everidge, California
Dawn Ishcomer, California
Rene Keener, California
Gregory Licht, California
Jody (Everidge) Robison, California
Darrick Woolever, California
Diane Woolever, California
Charles “Charlie” Cheek, Florida
Michael Harrison, Florida
Joann Whitaker, Florida
Aaron Barnard, Indiana
Anita Henry, Michigan
Tom Yazzie, Minnesota
Laurel Eckert, Missouri
Danny Nez, New Mexico
Megan Tsosie, New Mexico
Alice Mae Yazzie, New Mexico
Martin Graves, New York
McDuffie Cummings, North Carolina
James Sherbaugh, Jr., Ohio
Samuel “Dutch” Hillenburg, Virginia
Lynn Armitage, Wisconsin
Additional members of the Coalition are forthcoming.