“We will never have an opportunity like this in our lifetime,” Frank LaMere, chair of the national party's Native American Coordinating Council, told reporters in a conference call Thursday. “We will have an opportunity to tell those leaders how things could be and should be in Indian country.”
The convention, which runs from Aug. 25-28, will draw 35,000 visitors, including 15,000 media representatives, he said.
At total of 4,048 delegates are authorized to attend the Denver convention and select the Democratic presidential nominee.
LaMere said he hopes more than 100 delegates will be Indians. That would be a record, he said. The party didn't immediately have statistics of how many Indians were delegates in past conventions, although he said their numbers have grown by “leaps and bounds” since 1988.
“We will be asking our state parties to not just do what is required of them with respect to diversity, but to go beyond that,” LaMere said.
In contrast, he predicted that the number of Indians at the Republican National Convention this year could be counted on one hand.
Asked if the DNC had money to help Indians defray the often high costs of travel, hotels and meals to attend the convention, LaMere said he wasn't aware of any funds available.
Natalie Wyeth, DNC press secretary, said state parties often launch fundraising efforts to make sure all delegates can afford to attend the convention.
LaMere mentioned some Indians who will be serving on the party's standing committees at the convention. Among them is state Sen. Carol Juneau of Browning, whose appointment on the Credentials Committee was announced last month.
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