On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act with their ruling in Callais v. Louisiana. The Native American Rights Fund and the National Congress of American Indians who have fought for Native voting rights since their inceptions more than 50 years ago respond:
Today’s decision cruelly undercuts the Voting Rights Act, the foundational tool for Native voters and other voters of color to protect themselves from racial discrimination when voting, including in redistricting. This decision mocks our shared democratic principles and will have a direct impact on people’s lives. When a Tribal Nation or Native American community’s political voice is diluted, so is its ability to secure good schools, adequate infrastructure, health care access, environmental protections, and economic opportunity. Taking away voting protections, like what happened with today’s decision, makes it harder and at times impossible for Native voters to elect representatives who will respond to their needs.
Native American communities and other voters of color continue to face unique and unreasonable obstacles to voting and having their votes count. This ruling denies the reality that racial discrimination is prevalent and ongoing, but it does not change the fact it is. Indeed, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has never lost on the merits of any redistricting lawsuit it has brought on behalf of Native people and Tribes. In just the last five years NARF and our partners have successfully brought cases in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, and North Dakota. Across this nation, the Voting Rights Act once stood as an important deterrent to those who would undermine the fundamental rights of Native voters, but today’s decision will embolden racial discrimination against Native voters and other voters of color.
Every voter’s voice should count. Over the more-than-fifty years since our foundings, we at the Native American Rights Fund and the National Congress of American Indians have — over and over again — joined organizers and advocates across the country to repel attacks on voting rights. In fact, every major civil rights victory in our history has grown out of a moment such as this one. We will continue to fight for justice for Native voters and all voters because our country is stronger when our democratic values are honored and every vote is protected.
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