Controversial Ad Sparks Outrage in Crow Community Over Racist Remarks

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The Crow community was upset over a leaked recording of Senate candidate Tim Sheehy making derogatory remarks about tribal members. This anger intensified when a new TV ad surfaced, claiming “white farmers” were excluded from a federal farm aid program.

Rae Peppers, a former Democratic state legislator, viewed the ad as blatant race-baiting. This controversy emerged as Tribal Chairman Frank White Clay faced calls to address Sheehy’s offensive campaign comments. The ad didn’t specify the aid program, but Peppers identified it as the USDA’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP).

The USDA had a booth at Crow Native Days, offering information on DFAP. According to USDA data, 228 Montana farmers qualified for aid, second only to California’s 1,059. The ad correctly noted that Democratic Sen. Jon Tester supported the program, with funding provided by Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell’s super PAC.

State Sen. Susan Webber, a Blackfeet Tribe member, pointed out the disparity in aid distribution. “The USDA runs more than 60 programs for farm aid. And we’re talking about two, possibly just one, for Indians,” Webber said. Non-Indigenous farmers receive direct payments and crop insurance, totaling $22 billion in 2019, while Native farmers receive far less.

Montana ranks 18th nationally in farm aid, receiving $450 million in 2023, with crop insurance comprising 48%. Despite this, 61% of Montana farmers received no subsidy. The 2022 ag census reported 640 Indigenous farmers and 29,053 white farmers in eastern Montana.

The DFAP faced legal challenges, initially blocked by a lawsuit from a white farmer. Congress revised the program in the Inflation Reduction Act, making it more inclusive. Tester supported this act. The program’s origins trace back to lawsuits like Keepseagle v. Vilsack and Pigford v. Glickman, which addressed racial discrimination in USDA services.

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