Montana Republican Senate Candidate Filmed Comparing Experience in Afghanistan to Relationships with Native Americans in Montana

Indigenous Vote 2024. Here he goes again.

Already in hot water with Montana Native American tribes for his racist and derogatory remarks about members of the Crow Nation, Montana Republican Tim Sheehy, who is running to replace three-term U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), was caught on camera making a false comparison between Native Afghans and indigenous people in Montana.

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Speaking before the Fort Peck Tribal Council last month, Sheehy said, “You know, I lived among the indigenous people who were colonized, I lived in sod houses for months and years, eating their food, learning their culture, learning their language.”

A former Navy SEAL, Sheehy apparently spent time with natives of the war-torn country while serving in Afghanistan.

Sheehy may believe that his time among the Afghans prepared him to work with the eight tribes of Montana. However, his previous comments do not reflect his ability to maintain a trusting relationship with the tribes of Montana.

In an audio clip recorded at a fundraiser on November 6, 2023, Sheehy brags about practicing roping and tagging with members of the Crow Nation. He says it’s “a great way to bond with the Indians while they’re drunk at 8 o’clock in the morning.”

Four days later, in a speech at a campaign event in Hamilton, Sheehy told the crowd that he had marched in the Crow Fair parade. “They’ll let you know if they like you or not, if they have Coors Light cans flying over your head … They respect that,” another audio clip said.

On September 5, the National Congress of Americans (NCAI) condemned the Republican candidate’s racist remarks in a statement:

“The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) strongly condemns comments made by Montana Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, in which he used offensive language to stereotype Native people. Such harmful rhetoric has no place in public discourse, especially from those seeking elected office. These derogatory comments are a stark reminder of the persistent racism that Native communities continue to face.”

Crow Nation President Frank Whiteclay said in a Sept. 8 letter that Sheehy’s comments reflected a discriminatory and racially biased belief toward all Native Americans. Whiteclay called Sheehy’s comments “highly unprofessional.”

On Friday, September 20, Sheehy appeared on FOX News and had the opportunity to clarify these comments, but instead told the host that these were old recordings and suggested that they had been edited to make him look bad. He offered no apologies to Montana tribal leaders or tribal citizens.

“As you know, they take recordings from years ago, cut them up and make them sound, you know, like evil songs,” Sheehy said.

The recordings from last November are obviously not from years ago.

Sheehy leads incumbent Tester 50 percent to 43 percent, according to a Napolitan News poll released Tuesday, Sept. 24, conducted by RMG Research among 491 likely voters. That’s a reversal from a Napolitan poll in August that gave Tester a five-point lead.

It was unclear whether the survey included Native Americans in the state.

About the Author: “Levi \”Calm Before the Storm\” Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Native News Online. Rickert is the recipient of the 2021 Native Media Award for Best Column in Print/Online from the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at [email protected].”

Contact: [email protected]