A New Mexico state representative is among the leadership of Donald Trump’s newly-announced Native American coalition.
Four New Mexicans are part of the group, but the biggest name is Sharon Clachischilliage, a state representative from Kirtland.
The Republican presidential nominee announced the group, which is designed to work with Native American communities and help to get out the vote among Native Americans for Trump, on Sunday. This came less than ten days before the election.
“As a local elected official, I am outraged that Indian Country is prevented from harnessing our own energy resources by ever-increasing regulations,” Clachischillage said in a statement. “The Trump Administration will ease restrictions on American energy reserves worth trillions of dollars. Together we will block the bureaucrats holding Native American businesses back and bring new jobs into our communities.”
The other members of the coalition from New Mexico are Danny Nez, Megan Tsosie and Alice Mae Yazzie.
The coalition is chaired by Congressman Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma.
The honorary chair is Fleming Begaye, Sr., a Navajo Code Talker from Arizona.
Earlier this month, the Navajo Nation president and vice president endorsed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
New Mexico has the second-highest percentage of American Indian and Alaska Native population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As the July 2015 estimates, 10.5 percent of New Mexico’s population is American Indian or Alaska Native. Only Alaska has a higher percentage.
