When Gloria Waabigwan Wiggins and others with Wisconsin Native Vote go door to door canvassing, they hear from Native Americans, especially younger people, who feel their vote doesn’t matter.
As the Northern Tribal Organizer for Wisconsin Native Vote, Wiggins works to change that.
“I let them know that the ancestors before us prayed for you, and you're here, so we must do that for the next seven generations,” said Wiggins, who is a Bad River Tribal Citizen. “Also, we must ensure that they have a place better than what we have, hopefully, and by doing that is getting our vote out and making a difference and voting for the people that will advocate for us.”
While the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 gave Native Americans born in the U.S. full citizenship, it wasn’t until the 1970s that many were able to exercise their right to vote.
To this day, there are tribal citizens that still face barriers to voting.
Wisconsin Native Vote is a non-partisan organization that works to combat historic voter disenfranchisement and contemporary barriers. It’s a program of Wisconsin Conservation Voices.
Wisconsin Native Vote does not endorse candidates. It does educate voters and help them register.
Wisconsin is home to more than 70,000 Native people of voting age.
“Voter turnout in Native communities has been on the rise in recent years,” said Wiggins. “Red Cliff, Menominee, all have increased voter turnout in the last three years tremendously.”
Voter turnout between 2023 and 2025 saw increased voter turnout of 63% in Red Cliff, 63% in Bad River, and 81% in Menominee, according to Native News Online.
Wisconsin Native Vote will be registering people this Saturday at its Pow Wow the Vote event in Crandon.
The event is open to the public.
Wiggins says they plan to make it a reoccurring event.
“We've been thinking about some events that will draw people to come and actually give out voter registration information,” said Wiggins. “What better way than a pow wow to gather all the tribes of Wisconsin together?”
Pow Wow the Vote is Saturday, October 3 from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Forest County Potawatomi Community Center.
Hay Creek, Lac Courte Oreilles, is the host drum, the RedNationBoyz from Milwaukee are the co-host drum, and Fire Nation of Forest County Potawatomi is the hometown drum. Nate Ante of Bad River and RJ Smith of Lac Courte Oreilles will emcee. The arena director is Shane Webster, Oneida Nation. The head dancers are Joseph Rainey, Lac Du Flambeau, and Sarah Gouge, Forest County Potawatomi. The head veteran is Charles Connors, Bad River.
“Come get your intertribal on. Everyone is welcome,” said Wiggins.
Wisconsin Native Vote is also hosting an Indigenous fashion show on October 30 in Milwaukee called Native Vote: Fashion in Action.
It will feature six Native Wisconsin-based designers and 60 models around the themes of civic engagement, voting, and cultural responsibility.
