Oregon Public Broadcasting

Even though Oregon and Kentucky  are voting Tuesday, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was in Montana Monday.

That state doesn't vote until June 3rd, along with South Dakota. But those two states share something with Oregon - a significant population of Native Americans.

Ethan Lindsey reports that's why Senator Obama has been paying particularly close attention to  tribes lately.

In Pendleton Sunday night, unprompted, Obama spoke directly to a group of about one hundred Northwest tribal members.

Barack Obama: “There's been a tragic relationship between the United States government and so many sovereign tribes around this country.”

Cathy Sampson-Kruse is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

She wasn't just there to hear the Democrat speak - she volunteered with the campaign to help with the visit.

She says in some ways, tribal voters are like everybody else.

Cathy Sampson-Kruse: “Well, the biggest issue of course, is to stop the war. And to bring our young men and women home.”

Some tribal members say they connect with  Obama's mixed-race heritage.  A group of tribal leaders formed the Oregon Tribal Network for Obama, which is organizing get-out-the-vote efforts for the Senator this week.

Sampson-Kruse says it's not just identity politics.

She says Obama spoke about health care and about making college more affordable.

Cathy Sampson-Kruse: “The second biggest factor is health care. If you know anything about Indian health care, you know that we are in dire straits. But there is a whole lot of folks that have no health care at all. And he's going to hear a lot more from us as he comes out to speak with rural voters.”

Barack Obama: “It is very important that on so many issues, like education and health care, that we are following through on our commitments. We aren't right now.”

Obama specifically said the Bureau of Indian Affairs has been mismanaged under President Bush.

Hillary Clinton's campaign has spoken out on that issue as well.

In fact, former president Bill Clinton has also met with Montana and South Dakota tribal leaders.

In a recent speech, Senator Clinton promised to promote the director of Indian Health Services to a higher level of government. And more broadly, to "reopen the doors of the White House to American Indians."