A conversation with retired U.S. Senator, Ben Knighthorse Campbell
Retired Republican senator, Ben Knighthorse Campbell explains to correspondent, Tom Wilmer exactly why the name “Redskin” is despicable and offensive. Campbell’s political career commenced when he was elected to the Colorado State Legislature as a Democrat in 1982. Following two terms in the state house, Campbell was elected to the United States House of Representatives where he served from 1987 to 1993. Campbell was also the first Native American elected to the U.S. Senate in more than 60 years, serving from 1993 to 2005 as a Republican. Campbell’s tenure, as both a congressman and senator, was etched with an advocacy for Native American causes and a belief in cultural self-determination. Some of his noted accomplishments include establishment of tribal operated schools, a law requiring museums and the federal government to return all human remains and sacred objects taken from tribes without their consent, and passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that guarantees the right of Native Americans to practice their traditional religion without state interference.
Check out this episode! on NPR.ORG Lowell Thomas Award Winning travel Podcast “Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer”.