oddly tragic voting radio story

March 18, 2008 12:07 PM

NPR-story-with-little-to-go-on-filter: Several years ago, I heard a radio story involving a tribal election in which one candidate was represented as being for re-investing funds in the tribe, while another was for direct payments to tribe members. An tribe member, interviewed, said he'd vote for the latter, although even he didn't think it was best for the tribe or for him in the long term -- because he wanted the cash.

I think the interviewee said he's probably spend the money on alcohol or something like that. The funds were, I think, from a casino. The story may have been about how casinos do or don't benefit tribes, or it could have been about that particular tribe's election.

It struck me deeply how this sort of decision-making is so deeply ingrained in us that it's really, really difficult to get past it. The reporter may have been leading him a little, but the interviewee just ended up almost baldly stating that he was going to vote in a way that even he didn't think made sense. It was a weird moment.

This bit was toward the end of the article, I think.

Does anyone else remember this? I'm not sure how to search for it.

posted by amtho to media & arts (9 answers total)

Sounds like the White Earth elections of 2000/2004.

Admittedly, this same story is repeated with many tribal governments, so YMMV.
posted by unixrat at 12:11 PM on March 18, 2008

Is it this story from This American Life?
posted by moxiedoll at 12:15 PM on March 18, 2008

Was it NPR or MPR (Minnesota Public Radio)?

What's that NPR show - "Native News"?
posted by unixrat at 12:22 PM on March 18, 2008

Whatever it was, I heard it in North Carolina. I've never heard of "Native News". It could well have been the This American Life story -- I'll have to try that later tonight.

Could have been the White Earth elections (or not, the name doesn't sound familiar to me but it wouldn't), but I need the specific radio story to get that quote.

Thank you for the help so far!
posted by amtho at 12:24 PM on March 18, 2008

National Native News on PRI - that's what I was thinking of.
posted by unixrat at 12:26 PM on March 18, 2008

I doubt you would have heard the MPR stories in North Carolina. It was probably the one from TAL or one of the ones from NNN on PRI.
posted by unixrat at 12:33 PM on March 18, 2008

moxiedoll has it. I am a TAL freak and have probably listened to that show 4 or 5 times.
posted by muscat at 12:59 PM on March 18, 2008

What's that NPR show - "Native News"?

Could it be "Native America Calling"?
posted by yohko at 2:29 PM on March 18, 2008

I only just got back from an out-of-town trip, during which I listened to the This American Life episode. That was it! Thanks so much.
posted by amtho at 4:37 AM on March 22, 2008