Are Native Americans eligible to run for President?

Dear Scott Burke,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

We are unaware of any specific treaty provision that bans Native people from running for President beyond the usual eligibility requirements for any presidential candidate. The Qualifications Clause set forth in Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution requires the President to be a natural-born citizen, at least thirty-five years of age, and a resident of the United States for at least fourteen years. Although Native Americans have not historically always been considered legal citizens of the U.S., the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 granted citizenship to any Native Americans born within the United States.

We suggest that you review the National Archives (NARA) web pages American Indian Treaties and Viewing American Indian Treaties for more information about specific treaties. We also suggest that you contact the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian for additional assistance. You may also be interested in the Smithsonian Magazine article Who Was Charles Curtis, the First Vice President of Color?

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research!

[Information provided by Rose Buchanan and Cody White, subject matter experts.]