INDN’s List Opposes Racially Charged Comments by Mayor

TULSA, Okla. –  INDN’s List, the nation’s first organization dedicated to developing American Indians’ political skills to win local and state elections, is calling on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to retract disparaging comments made in regards to the dispute between the Seneca Nation of New York and Governor David Patterson.

“By offering to resolve this tax issue with ‘a cowboy hat and a shotgun,’ Mayor Bloomberg is clearly out of bounds and fueling a dispute with racial overtones. This issue should be and will be resolved by the state of New York and the sovereign Seneca Nation,” said Kalyn Free, president and founder of INDN’s List.

INDN’s List was created to support American Indians who run for state and local offices.  The state of New York, like 36 other states, does not currently have any Indians serving in either chamber of the state legislature.

“We need to elect Indians to the New York state legislature for obvious reasons,” Free said. “Without doubt, having tribal members at the table as elected legislators has improved the state-tribal relations dialogue in other states. INDN’s List looks forward to working with the New York tribal nations to recruit and train candidates that will fill this glaring hole.”

The Indigenous Democratic Network, INDN's List, is the only grassroots political organization devoted to recruiting and electing American Indian candidates and mobilizing the Indian vote throughout America on behalf of those candidates. INDN’s List is dedicated to making a unified Indian voice heard at the local, state and national levels by helping Indians build and run effective campaign organizations and to win elected offices across America.  Since it’s founding in 2005, INDN’s List has helped 45 American Indian candidates win elections across the United States.