Strengthening the Native Vote

Parrish, a member of the Navajo Nation, is the founder and director of Arizona Native Vote, a non-partisan nonprofit organization aimed at boosting Native American civic participation.

She is proud that the organization is making a difference in voter registration and civic knowledge among the Navajo, Hopi and White Mountain Apache communities.

“We focus on the rural tribal communities,” she said. “We register people to vote, but we know there is lack of understanding of civics and what government does.”

One problem, she says, is a lack of trust that many Native Americans have for governmental entities. Noting that she has felt that way herself, she says she has come to understand how governmental decisions impact Native Americans. “When something happens, you need to have people in elected positions that can impact it and you have to be involved.”

Parrish and Arizona Native Vote has been working with middle school and high school students. Members of the organization teach the civics classes and they can also supply teachers with curriculum.

These classes are tailored culturally to the reservation where the students are living. “Culture reflects who we are,” she said.

High schools on the Navajo Nation have courses on Navajo government. Arizona Native Vote supplements by teaching students about federal, state and country government roles. “These classes help with planning and showing how to talk about our issues,” she said.

One of the issues when registering to vote is showing the voters the difference between a physical address and a post office box and which is needed when registering to vote. Sometimes birth certificates are needed as well, she says.

The Arizona Native Vote team, which includes many volunteers, is all Native American. They have eight to 20 workers in the field at any given time. “We have a wide range of folks that we work with,” she said.

Parrish said students are 20% more likely to vote after seeing the curriculum, and people are more likely to vote if they have friends or family members that vote. “It’s not just about elections. We need to know the issues and be involved all the time. It doesn’t stop when the election ends.”

Common questions that arise involved how to obtain tribal identification cards and how to contact local elected officials.

Parrish became involved in Native American voting issues when she was a student at Arizona State University. She says she learned a lot from former Navajo Nation Chairman Peterson Zah.

In 2020, Parrish became involved in supporting elections. “That laid the foundation for what I’m doing today.”

Born in Phoenix, Parrish was raised in both Phoenix and Kayenta, graduating from North High School before going to ASU. She became an intern for the local National Public Radio affiliate, worked for the Navajo Nations’ Lobbying Office in Washington D.C. and worked for Zah at ASU for eight years. She earned her master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University.

“It’s important to educate and get people more involved,” she said. “It’s important for people to know their rights and know tribal sovereignty. In order to get things done people need to work within the system.”

Parrish said her focus now is getting people to vote in the midterm elections. “If you care, do something about it. Make it your business. It matters,” she said. FBN

By Stan Bindell, FBN

Courtesy Photo: A groundbreaking celebration to increase educational opportunities on the Navajo Nation brought together key stakeholders in the project. Pictured here are Navajo Nation Council Delegate Shaandiin Parrish, NPC District Governing Board (DGB) members Porter Black, Kristine Laughter and Derrick Leslie, ACA Senior Vice President of Economic Development Keith Watkins, NPC DGB Chair Everett Robinson, NPC DGB member Rosie Sekayumptewa, NPC President Dr. Von Lawson, Arizona Senator Theresa Hatathlie, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Navajo Nation President Dr. Buu Nygren, Kayenta Township Commissioner Chair Dr. Delores Greyeyes, CORE Construction Vice President of Higher Education Seth Beer, SPS+ Business Development Associate Rob Bass and Kayenta Township Manager Jarvis Williams.