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In Arizona, where there's a significant population of Native American voters, Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego acknowledges his party has often taken Native votes for granted.
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RUBEN GALLEGO: A lot of times, by the time Democrats pay attention to Indian Country or tribal votes, it's usually the last two weeks, and we're like, oh, man, we're down. We need to find more votes. Like, let's get out there, right? It's just very disrespectful.
CHANG: On the campaign trail for nearly two years, he set out to change that, with hopes it'll pay off come Election Day. NPR's Ben Giles reports.
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BEN GILES, BYLINE: On a warm summer day in June, Johnny Lehi stands a few steps off U.S. Route 89 in northern Arizona. He stares at a windswept expanse of red rocks, cliffs and clay he hopes to soon officially call his own.
JOHNNY LEHI: Elders fought for this, and the majority of them are not here no more to see what they pushed for.
GILES: Over two decades ago, the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe and Navajo leaders signed a treaty, setting aside this Navajo land for Southern Paiute people like Lehi. Congress has yet to recognize the deal. It still awaits a vote in Washington. That leaves Lehi and the Southern Paiute as the only federally recognized tribe in Arizona without a reservation.
LEHI: It's a big step for us to actually have something of our own.
GILES: Alongside Lehi stands Gallego, who says he supports the tribe's push to have a federally recognized homeland, and he in turn could use the support of tribal members to win in this swing state. Gallego made it a goal this campaign season to visit all 22 federally recognized tribes in Arizona. NPR traveled with Gallego on three of those trips. On a summer visit with the Hopi community, tribal leaders said they recognize the political power they wield and that Gallego hopes to tap into.
ALFRED LOMAQUAHU: In the last election cycle, 2020, it was the Native votes in Arizona that overturned and made this a blue state.
GILES: Alfred Lomaquahu is the Hopi tribal registrar, and his boast is no exaggeration. The Associated Press analyzed voter turnout after the 2020 election. Increased turnout and support for Democrats on large swaths of tribal lands helped President Biden narrowly claim victory in a state Democrats hadn't won since 1996.
Gallego's rival, Republican Kari Lake, has sought to cut into that advantage. She's made multiple trips to the Navajo reservation - the largest in Arizona - and has the endorsement of a former Navajo leader. But Gallego had a head start, having launched his campaign nearly a full year ahead of Lake. He purposely spent part of his first day on the campaign trail, back in January of 2023, on Native lands, with the Navajo and White Mountain Apache tribes. And it's why earlier this month, he went on a four-hour hike to visit his 20th tribe, the Havasupai people.
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GALLEGO: After we're done with this we're going to have to stretch our shins 'cause we're not young men anymore.
GILES: There's two ways to get to the Havasupai Indian Reservation - a helicopter ride or an eight-mile, 2,000-foot descent into the depths of the Grand Canyon. Gallego, citing a phobia of helicopters from his years of service with the Marines, opted to walk.
GALLEGO: So actually physically seeing it, seeing how they're attached to these causes, makes a huge, huge difference and makes you want to fight harder 'cause now it's not just this theoretical thing. You're actually seeing it, right? You're seeing how this affects them.
GILES: The trail, shaded by a steep red rock canyon walls on either side, is full of reminders of why Gallego didn't get here sooner like he planned - shattered trees and debris washed away by a deadly flash flood in August. The flood briefly shut down the village of Supai, a world-famous tourist destination to visitors.
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UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Chanting in non-English language).
DALEY MANAKAJA: I'm surprised he made it down and walked down. A lot of people don't.
GILES: Four hours later, tribal elder Daley Manakaja looks on as Gallego - at hike's end - is welcomed by a ceremonial basket dance and lunch - Supai tacos, made with the village's famous fry bread. While sometimes dangerous, the water is what sustains the Havasupai people. And while this might be a campaign stop for Gallego, for the tribal leaders it's a unique opportunity to sway a sitting congressman and possible U.S. senator to their cause. They're concerned a nearby uranium mine may taint the aquifer that's the key to the tourism economy, but, more simply, life in Supai.
MANAKAJA: Our water - that's very important. Our water down here that, you know, we need to keep it alive, just so that we can go swimming. We can grow our crops down here.
GILES: The tribe made sure Gallego got to experience the bright blue-green water of Havasupai for himself. As Havasu Creek cascades over a roughly 100-foot cliff, Gallego takes a hard-earned break after the hike. He wades into the basin at the foot of the falls.
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GILES: But time is running out to meet his goal of visiting all of Arizona's federally recognized tribes. With Election Day less than a week away, the campaign says he's still got two tribes to go.
Ben Giles, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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