[Click here for most Recent article on Larry Echo Hawk's (Re)Confirmation hearing...]
Well, it was a surprise when the news bounced around the inauguration balls that Department of the Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar was considering Larry Echo Hawk for Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Bureau of Indian Affairs. It was an upleasant surprise.
It was once said Larry Echo Hawk had three strikes against him: He's Indian, He's Democrat, He's Morman. They had two out of three correct anyway.
There are a multitude of casinos out there. There are just as many tribes exercising sovereignty and managing casinos.
Larry Echo Hawk is Pawnee from Oklahoma. Now here's an interesting fact: There are Pawnee Indian-owned casinos...That's strange. Why wasn't Larry Echo Hawk openly opposing those casinos? Why wasn't Larry helping Oklahoma raise a legal battle against the Pawnee Indians?
He did it before in Idaho. He openly opposed casinos in Idaho. It was rumored that he had made promises to remain neutral, which to date are unsubstantiated. When he was elected to Idaho State Attorney General, he did not remain neutral on the subject of Indian Casinos. He did not openly support the Tribes. Instead, he openly opposed Indian Gambling in Idaho. Then when the Federal Government (Department of the Interior) had determined that Idaho could not legally oppose Tribal Gambling, Larry Echo Hawk helped the state negotiate a loophole that would create a state statute to oppose Tribal Gaming. This occured as Idaho was itself conducting it's own gambling.
Larry is Pawnee from Oklahoma. That is significant. They have what around 600-800 acres of land? Not Thousands of Acres, not hundreds of thousands of acres, not millions of acres. They have less than a thousand acres. They probably have approximately five 160-acre allotments. Wow! And now Larry is supposed to act like he knows what our issues are on reservations with over Three hundred thousand acres, over Seven hundred thousand acres, over a million acres? He has no cultural imprint from which to draw personal experience. He has probably never personally managed land leases on reservations on a daily, or yearly basis. He is probably not familiar with what it is to account for land held in trust. Has he ever personally had an interest in having land transferred into Trust Status. He couldn't have had land waiting 19 years to be transferred into trust? Could he? If not, how could he manage an agency that is supposed to be doing that and to date, is frought with mistakes, misinformation, and misguided principles? How does Larry Echo Hawk know what it means to have a Tribe's appraisals done by a third or fourth party contractor? How does Larry Echo Hawk know what it means to have surveys done by contractors who for all their efforts want all their survey information to be public knowledge; to have state elected officials performing cadastral surveys for reservations because the Federal survey certification is open to virtually every surveyor breathing?
So what does Larry Echo Hawk know? He knows he's a Morman. He knows he opposed Idaho Tribes gambling options. In his formative years, Larry Echo Hawk heard Robert Kennedy say: 'Some men see things as they are and say, 'Why?'
I see things as they could be and say, 'Why not?' "
Maybe this explains why, in a region where Indians have always had gambling as part of their culture, before Mormons arrived here, Larry Echo Hawk looked and thought this state could oppose Indian gambling with a bit of legal wrangling so "why not?"
I am in admiration for his bit of legal wrangling, what I fail to understand is why he could not simply resign if his "religious" beliefs were in opposition to any Tribe's Sovereign Right to continue our gambling tradition. Yes it is a tradition. (stick games, horse races, foot races, and myraid other gambling opportunites dot our history) We are conducting the gambling ON OUR RESERVATIONS, and if Larry Echo Hawk didn't like it, he should never have set foot on the reservation.
But now, he will oversee many many gambling issues. Does he turn a blind eye yet again to every tribe who proposes to start gambling? Does he come down with the wrath of Joey Smith? What is an Indian to do? When an Oil Industry Surveyor's Son is faced with the truth behind how detrimental contractual surveying is to Tribes (conducted by Bureau of Land Management), does he turn away from the truth, or does he turn his back on the Tribes who are all suffering at the hands of so many Contracted Surveyors? Does Larry Echo Hawk understand the connection between lack of Trust Responsibility and forcing Tribes to pay for trust services like surveying, or appraising, or gathering records, or contracting for land leases, or oil leases?
It is doubtful that a landless-tribal member can enter this ring with any sense of what is expected of him. It is embarrassing that a "tribal member" who stood with a State Authority against multiple tribes, in direct opposition to their sovereignty, is now being considered for appointment to Bureau of Indian Affairs Secretary. We made treaties with the United States, NEVER WITH THE STATE OF IDAHO. Does Larry Echo Hawk's blatant lack of understanding of Tribes' sovereignty, of Tribes' land issues finally become obvious?
I think there should be much support for Scott Crowell and his statement in opposition to Appointment of Larry Echo Hawk to Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.
I agree with Scott Crowell that there may be wide-ranging support for Larry Echo Hawk, but just as in 1994, it may come from "Outside Idaho, [where] Mr. EchoHawk's candidacy has energized Indians throughout the West and become a cause," because very rarely does every tribe hear of every transgression and those who commit them against us. Maybe Ken Salazar has no idea what Larry Echo Hawk did either.
Today, it would not be hard to find tribal members from the Pacific Northwest, tribal members from large land-based reservations, that don't want Larry Echo Hawk in office messing up Tribal Sovereignty from a non-traditional, foreign religion's view of oppression.
No Indians should support the appointment of "an Indian" who will just as easily turn on their sovereignty at the National Level. He cannot be our voice. All of Indian Country should be hoping that Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar will look into more than the fluff and see the core issues of our problem with Larry Echo Hawk. If they don't they could find themselves on the receiving end of Larry's rebuke against Indian Gambling. Indian Country should be hoping members of the Senate Committe on Indian Affairs will consider another candidate for this post because Larry has shown he can put a State on his back while he runs haphazardly over Tribal Sovereignty.
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11 comments:
I have some concerns about your post about Larry Echohawk. I guess us indians who are not exactly like you are not really indians, or at least don't know what it really is to be indian. At least that seems to be the bulk of your argument against Larry Echohawk. Not to mention the overarching assumption that it was his religious beliefs rather than the fact that as attorney general he was bound to implement state law and policy that guided his actions as attorney general. I guess you want your cake and eat it too. As Native people, we can't expect to change the system unless we can first master it. So I guess all of the non-native people that have been working in Indian Country and screwing tribes have just been looking out for their own. (At least that is what you seem to imply Echohawk should have done in Idaho- he was bound by oath to do as the State dictates). As to implying he should resign, so you would rather have him resign and have a non-native in the office, just think what it would have been like then. Our Native elected officials in State and Federal government are on damage control my friend. Talk about a hostile workplace. We can't do anything if we are not in the game. And picking on the man's religion (which is actually spelled Mormon)- come on, as natives we of all people should know better, are you trying to say Indians can't be Christian, just where are you coming from. And then in a few words you swooped in and wrote off all Pawnees. I guess his brothers Walter and John don't really know what they are doing either (they being Pawnee). Let's look at his legal writings, his associations, etc. and not just make attacks. Why don't you ask the Cedar Band of Paiutes where he is coming from. Look up what he fought for for them. Lets have a real substantive discussion rather than just make discriminatory remarks about race and religion and tribal legitimacy. And yes, I know what you are thinking- I am biased, I am an indian lawyer and it was Larry and his brother that got me on this path back in college. Substantive debate on qualifications and issues is necessary- but again racial, cultural, and religious attacks to support your positions- lets have a real dialogue.
I have grave concerns about trusting anyone who puts on the uniform of the enemy and then uses the enemy's weapons against his own people.
For this "Sho-Ban" the issue is about Larry Echohawk's conscience and beliefs as an Indian. . .there is more to his decision in the 90's to use his legal prowess against the Idaho tribes.
Let it stand that the Sho-Ban tribal council back then rose up and struck legal blows as a tribal sovereign into the Idaho legal and legislative negative attacks. Let it stand that the whiteman clouded the gaming issues coupled with a token Indian who used his legal might and provided the mechanism that clearly benefitted only Idaho. The fact is Idaho tried to circumvent its laws to weaken tribal sovereignty -- all tribes would have suffered the consequences if their efforts were successful!
It is no secret that Idaho does this time after time and more recently made some legal and legislative threats regarding fuels taxation. We all have a decision to make and Larry Echohawk made his -- so let him face his conscience and let history stand on its own merits.
As for Chairman Coby's letter, it is obvious to our people that the letter was crafted by the Echohawk law firm and signed without a vote of the tribal Council. Probable misuse of political office and political favoritism rises its serpent like head again and again.
Mr. Crowell, who is a respected attorney in his own right, has every right to speak the truth. Alot of Sho-Bans respected, and still respect, his legal advice as it was he and our previous tribal leadership who positively shaped the best gaming economic future for our Indian people. His thoughts are those of our tribal elders and previous tribal leadership who had the insight to fight the fight. I believe his statements and his intent provides Indian country with the needed valuation for an educated decision.
Larry Echohawk, as attorney general, worked for the state of Idaho. He took an oath to do all in his power to benefit the state of idaho. As an attorney, you are bound to represent your client to the fullest extent the law provides. Mr. Echohawk did his job, and he did it very well. But please remember, as attorney general, his client was the state, not the tribe. If Mr. Echohawk takes the BIA gig, I feel confident that he will fulfill his new purpose, which is, to do all he can, to the fullest extent of the law, to represent the tribes and thier interests. The tribes will be Mr. Echohawk's new clients now, and he will represent them. I admire a man who does a job he's hired for. I despise men who say they'll do a job, then do the opposite. Mr. Echohawk is a man of his word.
I have a problem with blogs-it seems no one is man enough to put their name to what they write. Now that Larry Echohawk is formally approved by the Senate Indian Committee it is you nameless ones who can take the blame. If Echohawk was not the man for the job you should have told that to the Senators who all spoke in praise of him. In reality it makes no difference who is selected to be Assist.Sect.--Indian or nonIndian. Many others before him have found out that they are not their own man any longer. As a political appointee he has to do the job the President's way, or take the highway home. So, many have resigned about a year after learning that lesson. The 1st and
2nd ASIAs resigned after only a few months. Lets see how long Larry can take it.
Submitted by Elmer Savilla, Quechan.
MORMON not MORMAN
Where do I even begin? First, Anonymous comments are fine and anonymity does not detract from whatever truth might be found within them.
Second, whether or not Larry Echohawk was "just doing his job" when he was representing the state of Idaho is partly the issue. That is a western mentality--to defer accountability for questionable actions and behaviors to the aegis of "just doing your job"; it is a mentality that has no place in tribal cultures, but that has every place in hierarchical, elitist, oppressive western culture.
I personally think Larry is a prime candidate for the BIA when you consider what the BIA really is--an anti-tribal, bureaucratic organ that essentially acts as a warden for the US government in the continued control of ndgns nations.
What I don't get is how people can think that a person who thinks western, acts western, adopts western belief systems and spiritual customs is really indigenous anymore? He isn't. He is westernized and is a Mormon for crying out loud. I was raised to respect other people's beliefs about the Mystery, but Christians don't have a very strong track record for humility of respect for others' (i.e.: indigenous) beliefs and their religions are not exactly benign.
Mormon beliefs come from a whiteman who came from Europe and who was raised/created within western culture and value systems, not Pawnee. When a native person adopts these ways of behaving and thinking, they stop being native and begin being western.
Anyway, I'm sort of rambling around...it's a huge topic that cannot be fully explored in a small blog comment. Suffice it to say that, based on his career record and professional/personal ideology, Echohawk is the perfect candidate for the BIA, an insitution with a history of hypocrisy, disrespecting indigenous nations, imposing anti-tribal beliefs onto native people, stealing resources and lands, regulating the very 'sovereignty' of ndn nations so that it is whittled away daily...I call people like him proxies of colonization. Sorta like the judas goats that are trained to lure the other inmates into thinking everything's cool so the shepherds can catch them for slaughter more easily.
Nehi Katawasisiw
Cree Nation
HASKELL INDIAN NATIONS UNIVERSITY EX-VP BECOMES WHISTLE BLOWER
The Honorable Secretary Ken Salazar Department of the Interior Members of the United States Senate
Dear Sirs:
I have read with interest the comments and criticisms about recent Bureau of Indian Education actions, particularly at the post-secondary level. I know that employees within that organization have been threatened if they make unauthorized comments to the press; so, I am sure that most of those individuals would not risk their livelihoods to speak up as a single voice.
This letter is a request to do a thorough investigation of management practices at the post-secondary level, particularly at Haskell Indian Nations University.
Unfortunately, Haskell employs a group of about seven individuals who actively work against the administration. This group has been vocal, and since the Bureau of Indian Education ( BIE ) maintains a policy that does not allow administrators to respond, only misinformation, rumor, and innuendos are spread to the public, to the students, and to Congress.
I agree with a recent blog that said this should be embarrassing to BIE officials; it was embarrassing to me as a native person that the very group of people who should have native students in mind actually worked to create an environment of fictional drama on campus that was detrimental to the University’s attempt to live up to its potential.
Issues that need scrutiny :
1.
Dismantling of the federally legislated demonstration Health Education and Wellness Program program.
2.
Hiring practices at Haskell Indian Nations University and at central office, with oversight of post-secondary.
3.
Mismanagement of personnel issues at central office ensuring continuation of “hostile work environment.”
4.
Personnel who “cyber-bully” and promote misinformation to create dissonance.
5.
Ethics violations, such as advocating for your wife’s hire.
6.
Dismantling of The RED Center, the only connection to a university Haskell Indian Nations University can claim.
7.
A private bequest, used as Stephanie Birdwell’s private project account; $3M+ combined for both Haskell and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute. (Specifically, why didn’t the money go to the congressional chartered non-profit the BIE helped establish for the purpose of raising money.)
8.
Central office’s support of the federal union, rather than its own managers. (Specifically look at the legal effects of dismantling the current negotiated bargaining unit for the entire BIE by setting precedent at Haskell). This doesn’t even speak to the impact on student’s lives.
9.
Expenditures for dialogue sessions where no one is allowed to talk except Central Office Staff: do these coincide with other travel and is Haskell paying for this idea?
10.
Dismantling of processes that promote fiscal accountability (saved $150K in food services to see it squandered now) and healthy lifestyles initiatives (try eating in the cafeteria now).
11.
Lack of follow through on Inspector General referrals for mismanagement of money (when directed by the Inspector General’s office to handle the matter).
You have many issues in Interior; I wonder where Native American Students fit in your priorities?
I realize that I will get a form letter back from your staff and that it is highly likely that you will never read this. I am forwarding copies to some of your colleagues in the hopes that someone finally takes the comments about personnel management and supervision seriously. I believe that Ms. Birdwell and others will suggest that you investigate me rather than look at these issues. I am hopeful you will do both.
I would welcome the opportunity to provide you with incidents.
Dr. Ted A Wright
Former Vice President of Haskell Indian Nations University.
Lawrence, Kansas
That’s right eeny, meeny , miny, moe, pick a Haskell President before Washington D.C.’s Stephanie Birdwell-Bighorn say’s they go.
Today ( Oct 12, 2009 ) this announcement was made from the Haskell’s President’s office :
During Mr. Redman’s absence this week from campus, Dr. Dan Wildcat will be acting President. Dr. Wildcat will depart for a conference one Thursday at which time, Dr. Karen Gillis will be acting. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the :
Office of the President.
Well at least we know there still is AN OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AT HASKELL, but which president are they talking about ?
Let’s start with Dr.Warner who has been detailed to New Mexico by her boss, Stephanie Birdwell-Bighorn ( BIE out of Washington D.C. ) with a master’s degree in social work and no experience in education. A lot of the people Stephanie is in charge of under her SES title are more qualified and more educated then she is. It’s like boarding a commercial airliner and telling a passenger to fly it. Oh, sorry can’t do that because not everyone on board will be Native American and those who aren’t deserve a real pilot.
So, Dr.Warner is gone until January per Stephanie Birdwell-Bighorn and she send in a nice young man to be Haskell’s Acting President by the name of Chris Redman, who is from Oklahoma. He has no background whatsoever in the running of a college, but never mind that. The man was made to sit in the Haskell Board of Regents meetings last week and this week he is not at Haskell at all ! Who knows where the poor guy took off running to after all of that ! He after all was just trying to follow his orders BE PRESIDENT OF A COLLEGE ! And try he has. Gotta have pity on the man from Oklahoma !
Next ! Dr. Dan Wildcat is going to to be Acting President of Haskell, but he too lacks the real qualifications to be a college president however he is trying and has stepped up to the plate at least until Thursday. The mystery is where is Dr.Wildcat going on Thursday that is so important, that Haskell will once again have two acting presidents in one week ? And all of this in less then a month !
And least but probably not last, Dr.Karen Gillis she will step up to the plate on Thursday as Acting President of Haskell but for how long ? Through the weekend until next week ? The answer lays below…
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, no one knows until Stephanie Birdwell-Bighorn catches you by the toe !
No wonder an AIS teacher is getting away with making BLOGGING a class assignment !!! It’s teach WHATEVER you want to teach at HASKELL SEMESTER, because there is no Haskell President.
Larry Echohawk you may want to check this out.
Why won't The Bureau of Indian Education answer Congressman's Pat Roberts questions about Haskell Indian Nations University?
1.Why in the 17 years since becoming a university does Haskell Indian Nations University only have four Bachelors programs with one tittering on the brink?
2.Why is Stephanie Birdwell-Bighorn who only holds a master’s degree in social work in charge of Haskell Indian Nations University and other Bureau of Indian Education Schools when Dr. Linda Sue Warner is so much more qualified?
3.Why is Dr. Warner being detailed to Oklahoma? Maybe she and Stephanie Birdwell-Bighorn should change places. That is probably Haskell’s only hope of surviving.
4.Why did Stephanie Birdwell-Bighorn order Dr. Warner and Sipi’s Dr. Allison NOT to spend monies from a bequest clearly meant to be spend on things for the students like new furniture or summer school or new computers etc?
5.Why is Haskell’s employees union allowed to hold protest…these are clearly ILLEGAL even when you TRY to call them by a different name like informational protest.
6.Why were Haskell Indian Nations University students who stood on that picket line (with the nine employees and their children) (while graduation ceremonies were going on) given extra credit in some of their classes for picketing?
8.Why is Dan Wildcat allowed to cancel Haskell Indian Nations University’s two new BA programs on the days that he IS ACTING PRESIDENT? Why were they allowed to be canceled at all
10.Why are Haskell Indian Nations University’s Board of Regents allowed to sit on the board for years? With the president of that board George Tiger sitting on it for 24 years? Why haven’t they done their job as far as lobbying monies for Haskell so THEY DON’T put HASKELL STUDENTS AT RISK FOR PAYING HIGHER FEES?
11.Why is there no OMB audit of Haskell Indian Nations University and Mr. Mike Lewis…high time there is.
13.Why is Venita Chenault allowed to have so many of her relatives working on campus? On the days she is acting president she is their direct boss….illegal, illegal.
14.Why is that pot of money (40K) from the Creek Nation still sitting at Haskell Indian Nations unused FIVE years after it was given to the school and we are not talking about the money they gave to student clubs.
15.Why is Haskell’s finance director Mr. Mike Lewis now in charge of Haskell’s gift shop and snack bar? Conflict of interest.
16.Why is there a person allowed to be a Haskell Indian Nations University instructor who clearly speaks out against the US government and recruited students against the will of Senator Pat Roberts to Palestine last summer? Why would this person chose to teach (or be allowed to teach) at a government school? This is the same instructor who gave blogging as a classroom room assignment!
17.Were the student athletes who had to stay on campus past last Friday fed? We hope so.
18.Why are ALL the students and staff coming back on January 3rd? That makes no sense. Why is not staff returning earlier to make sure everything is ready for the students? How can staff possibly check all students In on ONE DAY? By making them stand in long line after long line? Maybe Stephanie Birdwell-Bighorn can call down again this coming semester and change the course offerings, that way the students can stand in even longer lines and NOT get the classes they need.
There are so many problems at Haskell Indian Nations University right now we doubt that the institution can last much longer. Most of its problems have been brought on by lazy and dishonest staff and their union. Who used their work time and government office equipment to file frivolous after frivolous complaint against Dr.Warner. Isn’t this illegal?
What is really troubling here is why a U.S. Congressman Pat Roberts cannot get any answers out of THE BUREAU OF INDIAN EDUCATION. Red Flags are everywhere.
The BUREAU OF INDIAN EDUCATION needs to get OUT of the education business.
By haskellnews@ljworld.com
December 17, 2009
#
anon1958 (Anonymous) says…
Answers
1. Haskell Indian Nations University has been chronically and severely underfunded and mismanaged.
2. There is a culture among the faculty and staff at HINU that accepts mediocrity and is very resistant to change.
3. Anything within seven degrees relatedness of the Bureau of Indian Affairs is at an automatic handicap.
4. Historically the critical need to hire Native American faculty to serve as role models has not been balanced by also hiring top faculty and administrators of any ethnic background when the talent pool of Native American candidates was thin.
5. The very real social and political obstacles that Native Americans face has reinforced a bunker mentality at HINU that amplifies the insular tendencies of all institutions of higher education.
There are many dedicated faculty and instructors at HINU and my experience teaching the students for 5+ years was very rewarding. However, there are instructors at HINU that are not even remotely qualified to teach at any level. I observed faculty that were territorial to such an extreme degree that they were causing real harm to their degree program.
I will go so far as to say that I know of at least two HINU instructors that appear to have significant mental health issues that are emergent as personality disorders.
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