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Fired up, and ready to go

By Lailani Upham

Juneau speaks out on the importance of getting out the Indian vote in this election, “The Indian vote is going to matter.” (Lailani Upham photo)

PABLO — The days are counting down to election and that was the urgent message for last Saturday night’s Lake County Democrats Autumn Dessert Social and Candidate Speak Out fundraiser.

As of today it will be twelve days before election.

“We are counting you to get out the vote,” stated Pam Bucy Democratic Attorney General candidate.

“It’s going to take talking to your friends and neighbors – this is how we are going to win this race,” added Bucy to the full house crowd at Salish Kootenai College campus this past weekend.

Montana State Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, who is up for re-election; Bucy, House District 6 candidate Nancy Lindsey; and Roderick Brosten for House District 9 were present.

House District 12 candidate Luke Walawander and House District 15 candidate Frosty Calf Boss Ribs were not able to attend.

Juneau and Bucy had teamed up and hit the pavement in Missoula knock on doors. “Many people were shocked to see us show up on their door step and seeing the both of us,” stated Bucy.

Leading by example, getting to word out on the streets is what the two ladies set out to do and hope to get the ball rolling in the area.

Juneau shared a story of a rally meeting she had been at recently where a lady mumbled, “Fire it up; and ready to go.” Juneau said the lady was persistent and got a little louder each time. Pretty soon the whole crowd started chanting the phrase the next thing she noticed was the whole crowd and atmosphere was energized, “The next thing I know, I felt fired up and ready to go.”

Before Juneau took her seat the crowd in the round log building began to shout, “Fire it up! And ready to go!”

Juneau urged the group to make it known that the Indian vote is vital for this election. “If Indians don’t vote we’re in a lot of trouble. That vote is going to matter,” she stated.

Montana Attorney General candidate Pam Bucy addressed a large crowd of democratic supports last Saturday night at SKC. (Lailani Upham photo)

Caryn Kallay, Lake County Democratic Chairperson told the crowd that because of the last election some polls have been removed from Indian country communities because of the lack of voter turnout. For example, Dixon residents now have to travel to Thompson Falls to go to the polls this fall.

Juneau also added that if the other side wins that there is fear where the state will go.

Juneau said the words of a lady in Bozeman set in on the importance of voting the right folks into office. The woman told her she was not telling people to vote for her own sake but for her children and grandchildren’s sake. “This one election is very critical,” the woman stated firmly to Juneau.

When Bucy was in law school, she specialized in Indian Law and interned with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Defender’s Office. She is also noted, while serving as assistant attorney general she participated in negotiations involving water, gaming and law enforcement compacts with Tribal Governments for the benefit of Indians and non-Indians alike.

Bucy represented CSKT in 2009 at the Montana Legislature and gained valuable experience working with the entire Montana Indian Caucus. Bucy states she will continue to work hard to protect the sovereignty and autonomy of Montana’s Tribal Nations and further the government-to-government relationship between the state and the tribes.

Bucy is an advocate to protect Indian women against sexual and violent crimes and is dedicated to work with state, federal and local law enforcement and victim’s advocacy organizations on and off the rez to expand policy and partnerships to address the crimes and hold offenders accountable.

Nancy Lindsey moved to Polson as a teenager in 1967 and her father was hired as principal. She went off to receive an engineering degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She returned to Polson in 1990 co-founded, Black Mountain Software, a firm that develops accounting, payroll and utility billing software for small municipal governments and school districts.

Lindsey’s three children grew up in Polson and graduated there. Lindsey also taught school at Two Eagle River School and she works with kids with disabilities and elders.

Lindsey says she understands what it takes to start a successful small business in the area and what it takes to create a thriving community.

Brosten, stated he was a “fiscal conservative” meaning he believes in getting “more bang for your buck.” Brosten shared that his grandmother was teacher in the 1930’s in the area and one important skill she impressed upon him was education and if you could communicate vocally and know how to write, it would take a person far. He believes in investing in public education; also to learn to be innovators and entrepreneurs and to help in assist small business growth. He also stated there needs to be more women in office; and health insurance for women needs to be equal with men. He also insisted that the minimum wage needed to increase.

Callay urged the crowd to not only get out the word to vote but to volunteer time with the Lake Country Demos to help get the word out on the candidates. “We need at least five volunteers a day up until election. We don’t have much time.”

To volunteer please call the Lake County Democrats office at (406) 571-2025.