Trump-backed US Senate candidate faces scrutiny for derogatory comments about Native Americans

BILLINGS, Mont. -- Tribal leaders in Montana urged Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy to apologize over remarks he made to supporters about Native Americans being “drunk at 8 a.m.” and throwing beer cans at him on the Crow Reservation

Audio recordings of Sheehy's derogatory comments were obtained and published by Char-Koosta News, the official publication of the Flathead Indian Reservation.

Sheehy is backed by former President Donald Trump as he challenges three-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in one of the most closely-watched congressional races in the nation.

A Republican victory could help swing control of the closely divided Senate.

Sheehy is heard commenting in one of the recordings that his ranching partner is a member of the Crow Tribe with whom Sheehy ropes and brands cattle on the tribe's southeastern Montana reservation.

“Great way to bond with all the Indians, to be out there while they're drunk at 8 a.m.,” Sheehy says.

In another recording, he describes riding a horse in the parade at Crow Fair, an annual gathering in Crow Agency that includes powwows, a rodeo and other events.

“If you know a tough crowd, you want to go to the Crow res," Sheehy says. “They let you know whether they like you or not — there's Coors Light cans flying by your head riding by."

The Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, which represents 11 tribes and First Nations in the western U.S. and Canada, said Sheehy’s comments perpetuated stereotypes about Native Americans.

Council Chairman Bryce Kirk asked Sheehy to apologize in a Tuesday letter to the campaign obtained by The Associated Press.

“You ask for our votes and then you go to your fundraiser, ironically with alcohol flowing and laughter at our expense behind closed doors, and you insult us with a stereotype that only seeks to severely diminish and dishonor our people,” Kirk wrote. “The Crow people are not your punchline. Native Americans are not your punchline.”

It’s uncertain if Sheehy’s comments will still be on voters’ minds when they start casting ballots. But political analyst Paul Pope said their “unseemly” nature could spur more Native Americans to register to vote, which could boost Tester.

“Maybe there's some fence-sitters out there and this might be a tipping point for them,” added Pope, a professor at Montana State University Billings.

A Sheehy campaign spokesperson did not dispute the authenticity of the recordings, which the tribal newspaper said came from fundraising events held in Montana last November.

Sheehy is a former U.S. Navy SEAL with no previous political experience who moved to Montana a decade ago and founded an aerial firefighting company. He knows members of the Crow Tribe and visits the reservation to work cattle with them, said spokesperson Jack O'Brien.

“He works with them, he brands with them,” O'Brien said. “What folks are insinuating about him, that’s just not who he is."

He did not say if Sheehy would apologize or otherwise respond to the tribal leaders’ request.

Montana has seven Indian reservations and almost 70,000 Native Americans, representing about 7% of its total population, according to U.S. Census data. It’s a voting block that’s long been considered Democratic-leaning, but Montana Republicans in recent years have courted tribal leaders hoping to gain their support in elections.

Crow Tribe Chairman Frank White Clay did not immediately respond to a message left with his office seeking comment.

Tester’s campaign declined to comment on the matter.

White Clay and other Crow representatives attended a rally last month in Bozeman featuring Trump and Sheehy. White Clay told an AP reporter at the rally that their presence was not meant as an endorsement. He said the tribe wanted to maintain good relations with whatever administration holds office.

Char-Koosta News editor Sam Sandoval said Sheehy's campaign had not responded to his outlet's queries about the recordings, which he said came from a credible source who wanted the comments publicized in a tribal newspaper.

“For a lot of tribal people, having that statement out there, saying they're drunk at 8 o'clock in the morning, it really hits a sore spot that Natives have been working to change for years,” Sandoval said.