Help From Us

Democracy is Indigenous

The KCIC seeks to promote civic engagement among Native American people at all levels of government. We promote civic participation through voter education and registration, narrative storytelling, data collection based on Indigenous methodologies and cultural competency, community engagement, collaboration and advocacy. We believe that our voices and perspectives have a vital role to play in addressing the problems of our time through engagement in the political process.

Democratic values are deeply embedded in Native American history and culture. The Iroquois Confederacy, which predates colonization, is one of the oldest federations and participatory democracies in existence (Radlauer 2000, Jacobs 2000). Indigenous practices influenced the drafting of the U.S. Constitution (Schaaf 1988). The U.S Senate acknowledged that the unification of the original Thirteen Colonies into one republic was influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy (United States Congress, 1988).

Democratic principles rooted in Indigenous practices prioritize ecological stewardship, intergenerational responsibility, reciprocity and community care (Sioui 1995, Kirmayer et al. 2011). This system views humans as interdependent with the natural world; prioritizing the protection of the environment to ensure the well-being of generations to come (Sagard 2013, Redvers et al. 2022). Principles such as the Seventh-Generation Principle and the emphasis on living in harmony with nature lead to relational, cooperative and sustainable policies grounded in mutual responsibility.

If you would like to get involved and have your values represented in elections and public policy or have questions about how to vote please reach out.