A No-More-Wars Candidate Whose People Know Genocide First Hand... Eric Descheenie

-by Eva Putzova

Eric Descheenie once told me, “enduring change we often seek will come when leadership consistently prioritizes people ahead of institutions.” It is this principled, people-first, uncompromising attitude that we need in times when our institutions are hijacked to detain, fire, and kill innocent people here and abroad. 

Eric is running to represent Arizona’s 2nd District in the U.S. House— mostly the same District where I ran in 2020, but which, through redistricting, became R+7 and has been represented by true MAGA believer Eli Crane. Democratic Party pretty much has no plan for red rural districts, even though rural America has a disproportional impact on our politics. Arizona’s second District— one of the largest in the country— is also home to the largest Indian tribe, Eric’s own Navajo Nation. As a former Arizona House State Representative, Eric understands the District’s dynamics, the electorate’s disgust with elitist colonial neoliberalism, working-class distrust of politicians in general, and the importance of experimenting with campaign tactics and investing in honest, on-the-ground, gimmick-free voter engagement.

In 2018, at the state capitol in Phoenix, during an anti-immigration protest, he was asked by one of the pro-Trump protesters if he was in the country illegally. The irony of this inquiry was not lost on Eric, his supporters, and various news sources who picked up the story. Given who he is and where he grew up, Eric can identify with all those who are exploited and despised by the repressive elements in our society. 

Eric is one of the few former elected officials who stays humble and continues to organize with the people. Last year, when we presented a Gaza ceasefire petition to the Flagstaff City Council and Coconino Board of Supervisors (both of which have been ignoring the ongoing genocide, claiming it’s not their business), Eric was a willing speaker in favor of the petition because he understands the reality of genocide personally through his family history handed down over the generations. He noted that if the American army in the 19th century had the same weapons available to them as we provide to the Israelis today, all of the Navajo people would have been exterminated, and Eric would not have been born.

Eric was an active participant in the inter-tribal coalition to save the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, which is threatened by the Trump administration and corporate interests. Environmental issues are not just part of a laundry list for him. He sees them as integral to his identity, his history, and that of all native people. With 250+ million acres of public lands threatened to be sold off as part of the Big Ugly Bill, his nuanced understanding of the intrinsic value of the land is more important than ever.

Above all, Eric is a kind, caring, and humble person who always helps others. I also know him as a single father of three sons who always put them first— ahead of his political aspirations and interests. He is a breath of fresh air in the era of performative politics and vanity campaigns. His quiet but firm leadership with a moral compass always set toward peace and justice is what our country needs. Join Eric by supporting his campaign with a donation, and learn more about Eric on his website.