About 50 people packed the New Post Community Center on Saturday, Nov. 5, as LCO elders and tribal leaders urged them to make their voices heard and vote on Nov. 8.

Tribal leaders who spoke included Rusty Barber, Rick St. Germaine, and Becky Taylor. Elders who spoke included David Baker and Daryl Coombs, who discussed the importance of voting—especially at this time when so many rights are threatened. They include the right of all to vote and have their vote fairly counted, the right of seniors to Social Security and Medicare benefits they earned, and the right of women to make their own reproductive health decisions.

Organizers and raffle winners gather after the Nov. 5 voter rally at the New Post Community Center. “SkoVoteDen” is reservation slang for “So Vote Then!”

Baker praised all women as sacred givers of life and stressed that the men on the United States Supreme Court have no right to rule over women. Baker called out “rank and file” Republicans, like Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who enable the radical ideas that jeopardize women’s rights. Baker also applauded women who have led on important issues concerning the tribe and society.

Becky Taylor, a tribal community leader who is part of the LCO Get Out the Vote Team, spoke for missing and murdered Indigenous women, Indigenous children lost at residential schools, and tribal elders. Taylor emphasized the importance of voting for candidates who will consider the impact of their decisions on future generations. This is the “7th Generation” principle embodied in the Iroquois Confederacy Constitution. Taylor said she was proud of her partners in the effort to “fight for our rights.”

Barber and St. Germaine discussed the history of the LCO tribe and the important issues at stake in this election. They commended LCO Tribal Governing Board members for their foresight in mobilizing a tribal voter drive this fall. “They want to ensure that all tribal adults vote in this 2022 midterm election,” St. Germaine said.

Jim Bootz, vice chair with the Sawyer County LCO Democratic party, recounted the Oct. 29 voter rally at the Signor Community Center where incumbent 7th District U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany made an appearance. Bootz captured and framed the lies Tiffany spewed at that rally. One point Bootz raised centered on Tiffany’s position on Joe Biden winning the 2020 election. Tiffany conceded that point only after being repeatedly pressed to make that admission.

The New Post event also featured a raffle and a meal of chili and fry bread. Both the food and fellowship warmed everyone on a rainy, chilly day.