You might think the country's oldest inhabitants would be treated as full citizens by now. But in the real world of American politics, Indian Country isn't a swing state, and native people's voting rights, like their communities, are relegated to the social and geographic margins of the electorate.
According to a report released today by the ACLU, the "one person, one vote" concept doesn't hold true on the country's impoverished tribal lands. Despite the guarantees of the Voting Rights Act--largely known for its impact on the enfranchisement of blacks--racial, cultural and economic barriers keep many American Indians from the polls.
Even after American Indians were officially deemed citizens under federal law in the 1920s, states used subtle tactics to disenfranchise Indian voters through discriminatory registration policies and other laws limiting political participation along racial lines:
