Four Directions, a Native American voting advocacy group run by Co-Executive Directors Barb & O.J. Semans, hosted the first "Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum," August 19 and 20 in Sioux City, Iowa. A non-partisan event, all major Democratic and Republican presidential candidates were invited to participate, including the president. Eleven Democratic hopefuls accepted the invitation to the historic event.

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Four Directions, a Native American voting advocacy group run by Co-Executive Directors Barb & O.J. Semans, hosted the first "Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum," August 19 and 20 in Sioux City, Iowa. A non-partisan event, all major Democratic and Republican presidential candidates were invited to participate, including the president.

Voter turnout is growing in Indian country, and Semans said, "in an election that's likely to be close, there are several states where Native American voters can provide a winning margin," noting that Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina and Arizona, all have substantial Native populations.

Eleven Democratic hopefuls accepted the invitation to the historic event: best-selling author Marianne Williamson (the first to respond to the invitation to attend), Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Admiral Joe Sestak, Navajo Citizen Mark Charles, Former Congressman John Delaney, Secretary Julian Castro, and Senator Bernie Sanders addressed questions and concerns from a panel amidst a sea of tribal flags.

Senator Kamala Harris, Governor Steve Bullock, and Mayor Bill de Blasio, attended via internet, according to the New Yorker.

Semans noted, "The media coverage was significant but what really left an impression was the high-minded questioning of candidates by Tribal leaders and the depth of knowledge, understanding and support from the field of candidates."

Focal topics included voting rights, survival of sacred sites, US Census undercounts of tribal members, economic development, housing, education, healthcare, climate justice and the Remove the Stain Act. Every hopeful supported the proposed Congressional legislation which would rescind medals given to soldiers for the Wounded Knee massacre. (Click here for article on OEN.)

First-term U.S. Rep. and Laguna Pueblo member, Deb Haaland (D-NM), introduced Elizabeth Warren as "my sister in the struggle." She addressed the issues of Warren's heritage as a distraction, noting, "I say that every time (the media) ask about Elizabeth's family instead of the issues of vital importance to Indian Country, they feed the President's racism," according to the New Yorker.

Judith LeBlanc, director of the Native Organizers Alliance, a co-host of the forum, said, "we are going from protest to power."

Recorded sessions of the Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum can be seen here or here.

Event Schedule:

Monday, Aug. 19:

9 am Marianne Williamson

10 am Elizabeth Warren

1 pm Special Presentation

2 pm Amy Klobuchar

3 pm Steve Bullock

Tuesday, Aug 20:

9:30 am Joe Sestak

11 am Mark Charles

1 pm John Delaney

2pm Kamala Harris

3 pm Julian Castro

4 pm Bill de Blasio

5 pm Bernie Sanders

Authors Website: http://www.OceanViewArts.com

Authors Bio:

Meryl Ann Butler is an artist, author, educator and OpedNews Managing Editor who has been actively engaged in utilizing the arts as stepping-stones toward joy-filled wellbeing since she was a hippie. She began writing for OpEdNews in Feb, 2004. She became a Senior Editor in August 2012 and Managing Editor in January, 2013. In June, 2015, the combined views on her articles, diaries and quick link contributions topped one million. She was particularly happy that her article about Bree Newsome removing the Confederate flag was the one that put her past the million mark.

Her art in a wide variety of media can be seen on her YouTube video, "Visionary Artist Meryl Ann Butler on Creativity and Joy" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcGs2r_66QE

A NYC native, her response to 9-11 was to pen an invitation to healing through creativity, entitled, "90-Minute Quilts: 15+ Projects You Can Stitch in an Afternoon" (Krause 2006), which is a bestseller in the craft field. The sequel, MORE 90-Minute Quilts: 20+ Quick and Easy Projects With Triangles and Squares was released in April, 2011. Her popular video, How to Stitch a Quilt in 90 Minutes with Meryl Ann Butler can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrShGOQaJQ8

She has been active in a number of international, arts-related projects as a citizen diplomat, and was arts advisor to Baltimore's CIUSSR (Center for Improving US-Soviet Relations), 1987-89. She made two trips to the former USSR in 1987 and 1988 to speak to artists, craftpeople and fashion designers on the topic of utilizing the arts as a tool for global wellbeing. She created the historical "First US-Soviet Children's Peace Quilt Exchange Project" in 1987-88, which was the first time a reciprocal quilt was given to the US from the former USSR.

Her artwork is in collections across the globe.

Meryl Ann is a founding member of The Labyrinth Society and has been building labyrinths since 1992. She publishes an annual article about the topic on OpEdNews on World Labyrinth Day, the first Saturday in May.

OpEdNews Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in "Beyond Surviving: How to Thrive in Challenging Times" at https://www.opednews.com/articles/Beyond-Surviving--How-to-by-Joan-Brunwasser-Anxiety_Appreciation_Coronavirus_Creativity-200318-988.html

Find out more about Meryl Ann's artistic life in "OEN Managing Ed, Meryl Ann Butler, Featured on the Other Side of the Byline" at https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/OEN-Managing-Ed-Meryl-Ann-in-Life_Arts-Artistic_Artists_Quilt-170917-615.html

On Feb 11, 2017, Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in Pink Power: Sister March, Norfolk, VA at http://www.opednews.com/articles/Pink-Power-Sister-March--by-Joan-Brunwasser-Pussy-Hats-170212-681.html

"Creativity and Healing: The Work of Meryl Ann Butler" by Burl Hall is at
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Creativity-and-Healing--T-by-Burl-Hall-130414-18.html

Burl and Merry Hall interviewed Meryl Ann on their BlogTalk radio show, "Envision This," at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision-this/2013/04/11/meryl-ann-butler-art-as-a-medicine-for-the-soul

Archived articles www.opednews.com/author/author1820.html
Older archived articles, from before May 2005 are here.