Ronald Reagan and the Native American vote

[Lourdes]

One thing I noticed while looking at the 1984 election results was the Democratic shift in a lot of Native American-majority counties, even as most of the rest of the country shifted towards Reagan.

Some examples:

Oglala Lakota County, SD
1980: 67.1% D, 26.0% R
1984: 81.4% D, 17.7% R

Rolette County, ND
1980: 46.6% D, 44.8% R
1984: 58.1% D, 39.4% R

Menominee County, WI
1980: 58.1% D, 32.3% R
1984: 67.6% D, 31.8% R

Big Horn County, MT
1980: 44.0% D, 46.3% R
1984: 52.5% D, 46.8% R

What was the reason for this? Did something happen between 1980 and 1984 to particularly hurt Reagan with Native Americans in these counties?

[redjohn]

Reagan proposed massively disproportionate cuts in federal assistance to tribes in 1981, and again in 1983 proposed further reductions in assistance to reservations.

I can find very, very ignorant remarks from Reagan towards Native American communities in the US. It seems he had no desire for his administration to have a positive relationship with Native American communities, and blatantly antagonized them with budget cut proposals+general ignorant comments from him and his admin officials.

At a talk in Moscow in 1988, Reagan said, "“We’ve done everything we can to meet [Native American] demands as to how they want to live. Maybe we made a mistake. Maybe we should not have humored them in that wanting to stay in that kind of primitive lifestyle. Maybe we should have said, no, come join us; be citizens along with the rest of us.”

These remarks were after the '84 election, but indicative of his feelings. In hindsight the swings aren't surprising at all.

[Podgy the Bear]

Reagan proposed massively disproportionate cuts in federal assistance to tribes in 1981, and again in 1983 proposed further reductions in assistance to reservations.

I can find very, very ignorant remarks from Reagan towards Native American communities in the US. It seems he had no desire for his administration to have a positive relationship with Native American communities, and blatantly antagonized them with budget cut proposals+general ignorant comments from him and his admin officials.

These are the types of sentiment that people today need to understand that Reagan wasn't the Christ-like figure that the right wing and elements of the media purport him to be.

[Calthrina950]

Reagan proposed massively disproportionate cuts in federal assistance to tribes in 1981, and again in 1983 proposed further reductions in assistance to reservations.

I can find very, very ignorant remarks from Reagan towards Native American communities in the US. It seems he had no desire for his administration to have a positive relationship with Native American communities, and blatantly antagonized them with budget cut proposals+general ignorant comments from him and his admin officials.

At a talk in Moscow in 1988, Reagan said, "“We’ve done everything we can to meet [Native American] demands as to how they want to live. Maybe we made a mistake. Maybe we should not have humored them in that wanting to stay in that kind of primitive lifestyle. Maybe we should have said, no, come join us; be citizens along with the rest of us.”

These remarks were after the '84 election, but indicative of his feelings. In hindsight the swings aren't surprising at all.

Minority voters of virtually all stripes-not just Native Americans, but Hispanics and especially blacks, hated Reagan. I've noted Reagan's antagonistic relationship with the black community previously.

[TheReckoning]

Reagan proposed massively disproportionate cuts in federal assistance to tribes in 1981, and again in 1983 proposed further reductions in assistance to reservations.

I can find very, very ignorant remarks from Reagan towards Native American communities in the US. It seems he had no desire for his administration to have a positive relationship with Native American communities, and blatantly antagonized them with budget cut proposals+general ignorant comments from him and his admin officials.

These are the types of sentiment that people today need to understand that Reagan wasn't the Christ-like figure that the right wing and elements of the media purport him to be.

And he wasn’t the Satan that left wingers think he was either.