Oklahoma Independent Media Center

Do you want to run for political office? Do you want to work on a political campaign for an American Indian candidate? Do you want to increase the political power in Indian Country? If so, then you need to attend INDN Campaign Camp 2007!

INDN Campaign Camp 2007 will be held August 20- 25 on the Morongo Band of Mission Indians Reservation, in Cabazon, California. Campaign Camp is a weeklong training workshop for potential Indian candidates and campaign staffers. By giving American Indians the critical tools and hard skills they need to run a political campaign, the camp will be a key part of our efforts in 2008 to elect even more Indians to offices all across the nation.

The training will include sessions on fundraising, targeting, direct mail, message, field organizing, canvassing and phone banks, using a voter file, working with tribes, local and state parties, building a political resume and GOTV, to name just some of the topics covered. Participants will be trained by the best and brightest campaign professionals in the country, and will hear speeches from political leaders and personalities throughout the week. Space is limited and scholarships are available, based on need and available resources.

INDN´s List held our first Campaign Camp in October 2005 on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Reservation in Prior Lake, Minnesota. It was a huge success, with professional trainers from 21st Century Democrats, EMILY´s List, Wellstone Action and Democracy for America. DNC Chairman Gov. Howard Dean served as the event´s keynote speaker to the hundreds of participants. Three members of Congress, Stephanie Herseth (D-SD), Mike Honda (D-CA), and Jim Oberstar (D-MN) gave stirring speeches to the group, and Al Franken, author, radio personality and humorist also made a presentation to the group.

More important than the trainers and speakers were the participants themselves. 109 people hailed from 21 states and 50 Indian Nations. Fifty men and fifty- nine women participated in the training. That turnout was key to our success in the 2006 election cycle, and we expect this year´s camp to be even bigger. Political and tribal leaders, campaign consultants, and media personalities recognize this as one of the country´s premier training events and certainly the only political training of its kind in Indian Country, and they are eager to be a part of it. Gov. Howard Dean has already committed to returning to Campaign Camp, and more are on the way.

If you´re interested in joining the political process as a candidate or staff organizer, we´d love to have you at Campaign Camp. Click here for the Campaign Camp Registration Form.

For further information, email info@indnslist.org or call us at 918.583.6100 and we will help get you started.

INDN is a grassroots political organization devoted to recruiting and electing Native American candidates and mobilizing the Indian Vote throughout America on behalf of those candidate.