Redistricting In New Mexico Has Systematically Diluted The Voice of Native Voters

Farmington has a well-documented history of discrimination and violence against Native residents, and voter suppression is part of the continued struggle.

I n 1974 three Navajo men — Herman Dodge Benally, John Earl Harvey, and David Ignacio — were brutally murdered on the outskirts of Farmington, New Mexico by three white teenagers.

Following a march in May 1974, a list of demands was presented to the Farmington mayor which addressed, “basic community problems affecting Indians, and calls for increased responsiveness by elected officials to these needs.”

While the clash between Navajos and whites in the community continued to rage, the city administration held open sessions and discussions for everyone in the community — Navajos shared their sweeping and ubiquitous experiences of discrimination. Whether it was high school students excluded from extracurricular activities, blue-collar workers harassed by their white employers, or individuals who were refused service at restaurants, the common themes of bigotry and racism riddled their everyday lives.

The discussions and rallies following the murders continued throughout the year, and in July 1975 a report was issued by the New Mexico Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights. The 171-page report provided a comprehensive timeline of the events that took place in 1974 and concluded with three key findings and recommendations.

Its first — and arguably most important finding? Public officials within Farmington had failed to “assume a sense of active responsibility for promoting positive and productive relationships among the diverse segments of the population which they serve, and that there is little awareness from the general population on the unique relationship the city holds with Navajo people on the reservation.”

However, the same report also included other testimony explaining that there had actually been little progress since the 1970s, considering the lack of Native American representation in positions of civic leadership:

This history is particularly familiar to me (this is Jordan talking) as my mother experienced discrimination as a girl growing up Navajo in Farmington. She shared stories of her childhood — like heading to the candy shop to buy chocolate-covered strawberries and being asked, ‘are you sure you can afford that?’ And she would reply, ‘ Yes, actually, and I’ll have a few more!’ Or when my parents were a young couple — if my mother entered a restaurant first, she would be ignored or dismissed until my white father entered behind her.

This discrimination is a reality I acknowledge, and one of the many reasons why I returned home to work for my Tribe. Generations of Navajo families lived these stories and history, and many continue to live and work in the area today.

To date, Natives in New Mexico and across the United States continue to face barriers to voting. One additional layer to the Native right to vote is the process of redistricting that takes place every ten years. The way that district lines are drawn can drastically affect the voting power of a community. In San Juan County, New Mexico, redistricting is paid close attention.

Voter suppression is all too common in regions with large populations of Native American voters, and New Mexico and San Juan County prove to be no different, especially in light of Farmington’s well-documented history of discrimination and violence against Native American residents.

This history is compounded by recent shifts in demographics; in the past ten years, the County’s population has decreased — driven by the loss of Non-Hispanic White residents — while during that same period, the population of Native American residents, particularly Navajo residents, has increased. Today, the Native American population is the majority demographic in San Juan County.

As the Board of Commissioners plays a leading role in the County’s government — it serves as the legislative body determining critical issues from budgeting for county services and roads, to taxing, issuing of bonds, and zoning — one would hope the government would be representative of its constituents that comprise its community.

But Non-Hispanic White voters control the election outcomes in four out of the five Board of Commissioner districts — despite the Native American Voting Age Population (NAVAP) comprising more than 40% of the County’s residents.

On December 21, 2021, the Board of Commissioners adopted a redistricting plan which systematically dilutes the ability of Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native voters to elect candidates of their choice.

The adopted plan prevents the Native American Voting Age Population (NAVAP) from being able to effectively vote for their preferred candidates in District 2 — which includes Farmington — by packing over 80% of the NAVAP into District 1.

Before the Board adopted this plan, the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission (NNHRC) submitted a redistricting map for the Board’s consideration. The NNHRC’s plan evenly distributed the NAVAP among Districts 1 and 2, with approximately 63% NAVAP in each district.

This plan would have allowed Navajo voters to effectively elect a candidate of their choice in both District 1 and District 2.

The complaint — filed by the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, ACLU of New Mexico, UCLA Voting Rights Project, and DLA Piper on behalf of the Navajo Nation, the NNHRC, and individual Navajo citizens — argues this packing and dilution by the San Juan County Board of Commissioners is purposeful—unlawful under the Voting Rights Act—and will have a detrimental cost for Native American voters in San Juan County.

The ability to have our voices heard through voting impacts our society at various levels. While the highest levels of voter turnout occur during federal or state elections, county elections often have just as large of an impact on our communities. Redistricting is one of many ways that effective voting by marginalized populations can be attacked and undermined, which can result in government leadership that does not represent or protect those populations, perpetuating discrimination.

In San Juan County, New Mexico, Native Americans must have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. Guaranteeing this ensures equitable representation and empowers the strength of the Native vote.

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