Sioux Falls community activist holds event to encourage Native American voting

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - With early voting in full swing, an advocacy group in Sioux Falls for Tribal Nations held a voter engagement event on Thursday.

The event was held just four days before voter registration closes in South Dakota.

Allison Renville, a former city council candidate and the executive director of TiWakan said she was also hoping to be able to speak with Mayor TenHaken and the Department of Justice about some of the issues affecting tribal communities.

She didn't get that chance Thursday, but the push to encourage Native Americans in Sioux Falls to vote still went on.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act, which extended citizenship to Native Americans born in the United States.

Now a century later, Renville said Native Americans can look to her candidacy as proof of the opportunities available.

"I think it showed the community itself that there is a significant amount of native voters and native engagement in the city and I really think it's more important for us to continue to show up to continue to make our voices heard but also to continue to engage civically," Renville said.

Renville said Voter turnout and conversations with those in power, like Attorney General Merrick Garland's August meeting with South Dakota's tribal nations, are so crucial for progress.

"Now with the attention of the Attorney General I think it calls more to the fact that we are integral in setting what's acceptable in America and it really goes to show that we are the final frontier in a lot of this power struggle," Renville exclaimed.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only two-thirds of Native Americans are even registered to vote with voter participation being less clear since the US Census Bureau does not report on voter turnout for Native Americans.

Renville still plans to meet with the DOJ. Last week, the department invited all nine South Dakota Native American tribes to a series of meetings as they try to examine better ways to fund public safety on reservations.