Native Vote 2026

Four Directions Native Vote – Indian Country (FDNV-IC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and expanding ballot access for American Indian and Alaska Native voters, is making its first live public appearance at the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) Santa Fe Indian Market August 14-16.

The appearance marks the organization’s most visible public event since its virtual launch June 25, 2026, which was first reported by Native News Online.

FDNV-IC’s principal staff members bring years of experience working on Native voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts, voter protection programs, litigation and efforts to improve voter access through engagement with local and state governments across Nevada, Arizona, Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

That work formally continued in June under Four Directions Native Vote – Indian Country, a 501(c)(3) organization established to carry forward those efforts with its own identity and platforms and a mission centered on nonpartisan voter education, election protection and advocacy in Indian Country.

The organization’s public debut comes at a significant moment for Native voting rights.

On April 29, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Callais v. Louisiana, a ruling that Native American Rights Fund and the National Congress of American Indians warned could make it more difficult for Native communities to secure fair political representation under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

“This organization exists because the fight for Native voting rights didn’t end with the last election, and it didn’t end with one court ruling,” said Oliver “OJ” Semans Sr., executive director of Four Directions Native Vote – Indian Country.

“We carry forward the work of the movements that came before us. We’re addressing historical and contemporary injustices against Tribal communities through equal access at the ballot box, advocacy in the Census, election protection in Indian Country, litigation, and the evolving federal Indian law that affects tribal interests. We are fearless advocates, and we are just getting started.”

Santa Fe Indian Market

FDNV-IC will co-sponsor the Tribal Leaders Dinner on August 14 with the Muscogee Creek Nation, the Coalition of Large Tribes and the Native American Rights Fund.

The dinner will bring tribal leaders together to discuss issues facing Indian Country as the 2026 midterm elections approach.

The organization also will staff a public information booth on the Santa Fe Plaza August 15-16.

Semans and FDNV-IC board member Dallin Maybee will participate in two public presentations on the Plaza Stage. The first, “Repatriation and Sacred Site Stewardship,” is scheduled for August 15, followed by “Strengthening Democracy in Indian Country” on August 16.

The organization will take its voter education and election protection work beyond Santa Fe later this year.

Minneapolis and Las Vegas events

FDNV-IC will hold a Democracy Academy in Minneapolis on September 20, followed by a two-day election forum September 21-22 at the Minneapolis American Indian Center.

The organization will then hold a Democracy Academy October 11 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law, followed by a two-day election forum October 12-13 in Las Vegas.

The events will bring together tribal leaders, federal administration and agency officials, members of Congress and candidates for policy discussions, panels and direct community engagement.

The Minneapolis and Las Vegas Democracy Academies are being presented in partnership with Fair Count. FDNV-IC said additional details about the Academy programs will be announced separately.

Mary LaGarde, executive director of the Minneapolis American Indian Center and a citizen of the White Earth Nation, said voting provides Native communities with an important avenue for advocating for their communities and future generations.

“Voting is a way for us to advocate for our people and future generations, and it’s important that we find ways to reduce barriers to voter turnout and ensure our voices are heard,” LaGarde said.

She said the Minneapolis American Indian Center is honored to host the Minnesota Native American Voter Forum.

“We’ve been a central community gathering space for the Twin Cities urban Native community for more than 50 years, and we’re excited to continue this tradition by providing space for candidates, policy makers, and community members to come together to talk about the issues that matter most in Indian Country,” she said.

With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, FDNV-IC is positioning its work around voter education, election protection and advocacy as Native communities continue to confront barriers to political participation.

The organization says its work is intended to build on decades of Native voter protection efforts while addressing contemporary challenges to equal access at the ballot box.

Source: Native News Online; 08/14/2026