For Immediate Release
Friday, Oct. 21st, 2022
Contact: Josselyn Berry, Jberry@azdem.org
ICYMI: The ‘Most Important Person’ on Kari Lake’s Campaign Mocked Native Americans in Vile, Racist Tweet
PHOENIX– Kari Lake’s campaign manager made a deeply racist comparison of all Native Americans to savages who engage in human sacrifice in a vile tweet mocking Indigenous People’s Day. “Happy Indigenous People’s Day!” Colton Duncan posted on Twitter, along with a bloody image of human sacrifice.
Lake’s campaign has refused to comment on the tweet and Duncan appears to be still working on the campaign. Arizona has more tribal lands than any other state, and is home to 22 federally recognized tribal nations. Even worse, earlier this year Lake refused to acknowledge her troubling comments that showed her ignorance of indigenous history, which were panned by Indigenous advocates.
“Once again, ‘show me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are’ has never more perfectly summed up a political campaign. This is a clear preview of how a Lake administration would regard and treat Arizona’s 22 Indigenous nations,” said Josselyn Berry, spokesperson for the Arizona Democratic Party.
Reactions from Indigenous Leaders:
Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis: “Arizona’s Native peoples deserve better. All Arizonans should denounce this racist garbage.”
Debbie Nez-Manuel, a Navajo and national committeewoman for the Arizona Democratic Party: Lake owes all Indigenous people a heartfelt apology for the “gross imagery” and “ignorant” racist message of her campaign manager, Nez-Manuel said. “It’s just infuriating. This is probably one of the worst things I’ve seen…Kari Lake is the candidate. She’s 100% responsible for whatever her campaign manager does.”
State Senator Victoria Steele, a Tucson Democrat who is of Seneca/Cayuga Native ancestry: “Just because someone can read a teleprompter does not mean she has the intellectual ability to read and understand a history book. Clearly, she has lost her moral center if this is the kind of behavior she tolerates in her campaign.”