By Jennah Warner (Omaha Tribe of Nebraska), Nebraska Indian Community College
As a Native American, I believe democracy is something that makes us heard and part of a community. Native Americans have been practicing democracy for many years. Before my father and his father and his, democracy helped all of us, as a group, make the best decisions together.
The Iroquois Confederacy (consisting of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and later Tuscarora nations) operated under the Gyanashekar which translates to “Great Law of Peace.” This is one of the world’s oldest participatory democracies.
The democratic principles of Indigenous nations directly shaped the foundational governance of the United States. It was our ancestors who molded this land into what it is today. The concept of individual, sovereign states united under a single federal government is similar to the structure of Indigenous confederacies.
Democracy is what helps our community give input on the best way to make a decision because it doesn’t reflect one person’s opinion, rather everyone shares their voice and votes.
To me, democracy means that we all have a say in what goes on in our community no matter who we are. Together, we decide the best way to go about making a decision on any given issue.
In our tribe, we have council members. At council meetings, the council lets the community be a part of those meetings. The community brings problems to the council and they do what they can. Everyone receives help when needed and gives a helping hand when they can. The council makes sure nobody goes hungry, and the tribe has funds set aside in case of emergencies.
Rather than a simple majority rule, which can leave many dissatisfied, several tribal councils require unanimous or near-unanimous votes. This ensures every voice is weighed fairly.
I like how in our tribe, the election of officials is about who has done a lot for the tribe, has a good background, and has a good relationship with the people. I like how our people have close relationships and know who the person representing them on council truly is.
