Walz pitches directly to Native American voters in visit to Navajo Nation

 Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday traveled to the Navajo Nation in battleground Arizona, where he pitched directly to Native American voters on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris and argued Donald Trump diminished Native Americans throughout his life, including during his tenure as president.

Walz, adorned with a turquoise necklace gifted to him by Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, addressed a crowd of hundreds in front of Window Rock Tribal Park, where he laid out the Biden administration’s efforts to protect tribal lands, provide funding for tribes and Native American organizations, and investigate cases of murdered and missing Indigenous people.

“Kamala Harris and I recognize the promises this country has made to Indigenous peoples. We will safeguard and strengthen the bonds between our nations and uphold our trust and treaty obligations. The highest law is to honor tribal sovereignty, promote tribal consultation and ensure tribal self-determination across this country,” he said.

Walz sharply criticized Trump’s treatment of Native Americans, accusing him of making racist remarks about Native Americans in the past and highlighting a 2017 incident in which Trump met with Navajo Code Talkers at the White House in front of a portrait of former President Andrew Jackson, who signed legislation that eventually led to the “Trail of Tears.”

“I don’t know if he knows his history well enough to know what he was doing, but I damn sure guarantee you the people around him knew the insult they were throwing to Indian country by making those heroes stand in front of that portrait,” he said.

Walz’s Saturday visit marked the first time this cycle that a presidential or vice presidential candidate from either major party has visited Navajo Nation territory.