COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — You may not know this, but Native Americans in Idaho have only been allowed to vote since the 1950s.
However, today, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe is very involved in getting their members out to vote.
The Coeur D’Alene tribe’s history runs deep.
“100 years ago wasn’t that long ago,” Chief James Allan said.
And that history continues to live on today.
“We have tribal elders in their mid-90s," Chief said. "They were little boys and little girls at that time.”
As far as voting history goes, it's a different story.
"In Idaho, it’s been a lot less time than [that] it’s been since the 1950s,” Elva "Cookie" Allan, a consultant with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, said.
So now, the tribes' elders are leading the way in civic engagement.
“I was approached by many elders to get some native vote for election momentum going, and you never say no to elders,” Elva said.
“The neat thing is trying to figure out how to use social media in ways that reach young people,” Elva said.
One of those young voters is Aiyana James.
“I’ve been involved in the native vote meetings, trying to get the word out," James said. "Getting people registered to vote. Just getting information out on the importance of voting.”
Even as a younger tribal member, the historical significance of tribal voting isn’t lost upon her.
“It’s really important for us to realize that resiliency our tribal people have had and what it took for us to get to this point to have not this privilege but this right to vote in a country that we’ve been a part of for time immemorial,” James said.
And while voting in state and federal elections hasn’t had as long of a history in the tribe, the tribe has.
“The Coeur d’Alene people have been here for thousands of years and have known not only how to manage the resources around them but also how to manage and organize amongst themselves,” Elva said.
So now, as November 5th approaches, the people of the Coeur d’Alene tribe continue to rally to make their voices heard.
“These elders knew what a difference it made when they were finally able to go there and start casting their vote," Elva said. "Their excitement for this election gets me more excited.”
Excitement for the vote, but also excitement for the generations of tribal members to come.
“I hope that more Indigenous people can be in these positions of decision-making and be sitting at these tables," James said. "Not just sitting at these tables but [being] able to have a positive and effective contribution to these conversations.”