Howard Dean @ INDN Boot Camp

Another Howard Dean story.

This time, it was the Indigenous Democratic Network List's (INDN) List Boot Camp, the first ever "boot camp" for Indian candidates. Kalyn Free (remember that name?), the president and founder of INDN's List, wants to help recruit, train and elect Indian candidates for public office. The boot camp took place October 13-16.

Oh and Al Franken was there, too. Here's the story from the October 12 edition of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

Indian 'boot camp' will help launch political candidates
Patricia Lopez

After flexing their muscles and wallets in the last two national elections, Indian tribes across the country say they're ready to do more, and they've picked Shakopee for their launching pad.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux will host the tribes' first national Indian candidate boot camp starting Thursday. It was organized by INDN List, a potentially powerful new player on the national political scene dedicated to recruiting and training Indian political candidates.

The four-day camp is expected to draw nearly 200 potential candidates, campaign staff members and donors for an intensive grounding in the finer points of running and winning campaigns.

The Indigenous Democratic Network List (INDN List for short) is a political 527 group, named after the section of federal law that authorizes such groups. They raised and spent significant amounts of money in the 2004 election.

Kalyn Free, the president and founder of INDN List, said it has raised about $200,000 since its inception in February, but expects to raise much more. The money has come not just from the wealth of tribal casino gambling, she said, but from individual donors and organized labor.

Styled after EMILY's List, the first major group to endorse and support women candidates, INDN List wants to cultivate big givers, making those who give $1,000 or more to INDN List members of its "Warriors Circle."

The network will endorse only candidates enrolled in federally recognized tribes, Free said.

"We're on the cusp of something really big here," she said. "This is an opportunity to change the face of color and power in America. We've proved that we can turn out Indians to elect non-Indians. Now we need to turn them out to elect Indians."

Free noted that in Minnesota, heavy turnout on the Leech Lake Reservation helped elect state Rep. Frank Moe, DFL-Bemidji, and Indian turnout was credited with affecting several other House races in Minnesota. Nationally, tribes generated Indian turnout through Native Vote 2004. Free, a Choctaw from Tulsa, Okla., vied for a congressional seat in 2004 but lost.

Afterward, she said, she realized that Indian candidates needed the same type of grass-roots organization to recruit, train and fund candidates that EMILY's List had provided for women.

The goal, she said, is to elect Indian candidates at every level of government.

Headlining the Shakopee boot camp on Saturday will be Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and comedian and radio host Al Franken, who is considering a run in Minnesota against U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman in 2008. Rep. Jim Oberstar will be on hand for the Thursday opening.

Why Minnesota?

"I chose Minnesota because tribal leaders in Minnesota are visionaries," Free said. "They have been so progressive in supporting tribal sovereignty across the country."

Free worked in the state during Native Vote 2004 for the Kerry-Edwards campaign.

"Your tribes here in Minnesota get it," she said. "You've already proven that you can turn out votes. Now we need to get you some candidates."

Wellstone Action is also a cosponsor of the event, and director Jeff Blodgett, former campaign manager for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, will lead sessions on building get-out-the vote operations.

NB: If there is a summary of the event, I'll post it here or in the comments.