No one in Walthill taking the opposite side in this debate would speak with us on camera. Representatives of the the Thurston County board, the village board, and the Walthill school board were ordered by their attorney, Neal Stenberg, not to speak with us. Mr. Stenberg declined to comment as well. Other community leaders would only speak with us off camera and if we did not use their names. Many in the white community argue that Indians aren't elected because Indians don't vote in large enough numbers.
Voter registration is low among non-whites here.
But I know there was at least a hundred fifty that could have, but they just didn't register to vote. The Indian's legal council has heard lots of other worries from a white community fighting district elections. They range from teaching Indian culture in the schools to fears the local economy will be permanently damaged. Indians deeply resent those fears and accusations. People say things like well, if Native American's were on the school board, then the quality of the education would go down.