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the U.S. government promised American Indians' ancestors in treaties and to break bureaucratic logjams that stunt economic development on tribal trust lands.
• Some tribes have formed their own political action committees and lobby for issues such as building casino enterprises. They seek to make headway on issues such as Internet gaming, clean energy production and expansion of broadband to remote reservations.
• In New Mexico, Arizona and more than a dozen other states, tribal members have helped national groups with voter registration drives and phone banks with the goal of besting the Native American turnout in 2008, when fewer than half of eligible Native voters showed up at the polls. That equates to more than 1 million unrealized votes, according to the NCAI.
• In Arizona, the NCAI has said an increase in turnout of Native Americans as well as Hispanics could make a difference in the tight U.S. Senate race between Republican Rep. Jeff Flake and Democrat Richard Carmona. The Gila River Indian Community sponsored a debate between Carmona and Flake, and the tribe's newspaper is publishing a voter guide with propositions and a list of candidates.
• In Montana, incumbent Democratic Sen. John Tester -- propelled to a narrow victory in 2006 by Native American voters -- is making reservations a crucial part of his final week's barnstorming tour. Tribes in Wisconsin came together Tuesday evening for a Rock the Vote event in Green Bay. At Santa Clara Pueblo in northern New Mexico, tribal members held a debate-watching party and have been going door-to-door to encourage neighbors to vote. More than five dozen buttons reading "Every Native vote counts" were sent home with kindergartners and preschoolers.
• "One vote may seem insignificant, but when you add 10 votes, 100 votes or 1,000 votes, that becomes a number that people will look at," said pueblo Gov. Walter Dasheno. "More people are becoming conscious of the significance of one vote."
• In Albuquerque, a ballot initiative on increasing the minimum wage has helped Weahkee woo would-be voters.
• "On one hand, you could say that's not really a Native issue. But on the other hand, we really can because so many of our communities are impacted," Weahkee said. "We're really looking at this over the long haul as opposed to just these elections."
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• DENVER (AP) -- The first National Bison Day is taking place Thursday.
• The Colorado-based National Bison Association, the New York-based Wildlife

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