The North Country — like much of rural America — has a population that’s gradually shrinking.<\/p>\n
The exception are the Amish and the Mohawk communities, both of which have seen a rapid expansion the last decade. <\/p>\n
That could bring bigger clout in local and regional elections.<\/p>\n
But both groups see themselves as distinctly apart from the rest of the U.S. The Mohawk are literally a different nation. <\/p>\n
As a consequence, many Mohawks and many Amish simply abstain from voting. <\/p>\n
But this year for the first time, Democrats have been openly courting Native American votes. <\/p>\n
Here’s a taste of a recent Politico.com article.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to believe these efforts reaching into Indian Country are truly altruistic \u2014 and for the large part, they are \u2014 but these candidates know that in order to win, Indian Country can be a deciding factor,\u201d said Kalyn Free, an Oklahoma superdelegate and founder of the Indigenous Democratic Network\u2019s List, a political organization that mobilizes the Indian vote and recruits, trains and funds Native American candidates.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n