Monday October 14th is Indigenous Peoples Day and a new campaign will use the holiday to encourage Native people to go to the polls.
Snag the Vote is a coalition formed by Native-led and state-level nonprofits. Chief Executive Officer of Naeva Ahtza Dawn Chavez, who is Diné and Kewa Pueblo, said they wanted to create events that were both educational and fun.
“We were just worried about the election, trying to figure out what we needed to do to inspire all of our communities to get out the vote. And we're like, we have to come up with something funny. We got to put humor in there,” they said.
The event will blend information encouraging Native American people to vote with Indigenous music and comedy from Burque Sol, Lindy Vision, Lori Chavez and Korey Herrera. Attendees can also check out the local art vendors, food and a kids’ playzone.
This will be Snag the Vote’s third event on their five event tour around the country and Chavez said the prior events have been successful in engaging with the community.
“We had a few folks that spoke a little bit about why voting was important to them, and it was just a fun community event,” they said. “Like the kids had fun. We had fun. People stayed later and just chatted.”
People attending will have the opportunity to register to vote, find out where they can vote, and find more information on how to request absentee ballots.
“So we're just trying to get as much information out there and really have fun with our community and get folks excited about participating in the election this year,” they said.
Chavez said having these events helps build a sense of collaboration and community among Native people, especially in a place like Albuquerque that has one of the largest urban Native populations in the country.
“But just like, come have fun with us. That's all we're asking,” they said. “If you decide to register, awesome. If you get some cool stickers and a shirt, awesome.”
Snag the Vote will have two more upcoming events in Gallup and St. Michael, North Dakota.
The free event on Oct. 14 will be at Tin Can Alley from 3:00-7:00 PM in Albuquerque NM. You can find more information at the organization's Facebook and Instagram @snagthevote.
Support from the coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation.
