WASHINGTON -U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today announced that the Senate has unanimously approved Larry Echo Hawk, a Farmington native, to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs heads the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Udall had urged support for Echo Hawk in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
"Larry knows the law well enough to understand what is possible," said Udall. "But more importantly, he has the values to know when it is time to expand the realm of the possible-to break old habits and try new ideas. He is a leader who can bring change to a Bureau that desperately needs it."
Before taking the Interior Department position, Echo Hawk taught law at the J. Reuben Clark School of Law at Brigham Young University. In a recent article, University of Baltimore Professor Garrett Epps suggested that Echo Hawk replace Justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court. From 1990 to 1994, Echo Hawk served as Idaho's Attorney General, the first Native American elected to a statewide constitutional office in the country. In 1994, he ran for Governor of Idaho on the Democratic ticket. From 1978 until April 2009, he served on the National Advisory Board of American Indian Services. He is a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, though he grew up in Farmington, New Mexico, where he was a starting quarterback for the Farmington High School Scorpions.
"At BIA, we need somebody who can work with tribal governments and tribal members with an attitude of respect," said Udall. "We need somebody who combines a deep knowledge of Indian issues with the compassion that comes from common experience and common culture. We need a great mind connected to a great heart. In short, we need Larry Echo Hawk."
Udall met Echo Hawk when both men were elected attorneys general in 1990. They worked together as members of the National Association of Attorneys General, particularly on issues related to Native Americans.
Senator Udall's complete statement from the Senate record is below:
I rise today to support the nomination of a man I am proud to call my friend-Larry Echo Hawk. He is President Obama's nominee to be Assistance Secretary of Indian Affairs. He was approved unanimously by this body last night. And he is a wonderful choice.
Before I talk about why Larry is so qualified for this position, I want to say a few quick words about how committed he is to this job.
Larry was a law professor. And as many of you know-that is a pretty nice job.
More importantly, as a former BYU quarterback, Larry was named to be the faculty member who oversees the BYU Athletics Department.
What I'm saying is-rather than spending his days being worshipped by law students, publishing groundbreaking articles and watching college football games from the 50 yard line, Larry has chosen to serve his country in the Interior Department.
If that's not commitment, I don't know what is.
We are very lucky that Larry is so committed to this position, because I can think of nobody who is better suited for it.
Larry's resume speaks for itself. He has the kind of depth and breadth of experience that would make him equal to any job. Over the course of his career, he has been an advocate and an academic-an elected official, a private attorney and a Marine. He has worked to put criminals behind bars and to keep children in school. He has fought drug use, domestic violence and bigotry. And throughout this broad and varied career, he has retained a passionate commitment to his people-the first Americans. As he moved from job to job and even state to state, he never stopped working to improve the lives of our country's Native Americans.
Larry's work has won him awards and acclaim from around the country and across the political spectrum. Just recently, a respected law professor suggested that Larry replace Justice Souter on the Supreme Court. This is a man who really could do anything.
And Larry is more than a very accomplished lawyer and public servant. He is a deep and innovative thinker.
Larry grew up in Farmington, New Mexico, but I first got to know him when we were both elected state attorneys general in 1990. At the time, Larry was the first Native American to be elected to a statewide constitutional office anywhere in the United States.
And Larry's path breaking did not stop there. Shortly after his election, he began to spread what, at the time, was a very new idea-conflicts with tribes should not be settled in court.
Back then, state AGs were in court with the tribes all the time. Nobody won those cases, because the bad blood on both sides turned any outcome into a defeat.
Larry was the first to say, "We can do better." And he was right.
I followed Larry's advice, and as a result New Mexico's relationship with our tribes was more productive for everybody involved.
The author Dov Seidman has written that, "Laws tell you what you can do. Values inspire in you what you should do."
Larry knows the law well enough to understand what is possible. But-more importantly-he has the values to know when it is time to expand the realm of the possible-to break old habits and try new ideas. He is a leader who can bring change to a Bureau that desperately needs it.
At BIA, we need somebody who can work with tribal governments and tribal members with an attitude of respect. We need somebody who combines a deep knowledge of Indian issues with the compassion that comes from common experience and common culture. We need a great mind connected to a great heart.
In short, we need Larry Echo Hawk. I want to thank you all for supporting his nomination.
