EchoHawk: Leading Bureau of Indian Affairs
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Larry EchoHawk rises every morning before dawn in order to make the most of an opportunity he spent his entire career preparing for.
Brother EchoHawk is a Native American and member of the Pawnee Nation. His primary reason for becoming a lawyer was to help Indian people. More than 35 years after getting his license to practice law, he now works for the U.S. Department of the Interior as Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, perhaps the preeminent position in all of government for positively influencing the 1.9 million Native Americans in the United States.
"I am responsible for administering the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs," he said. "That includes over 9,000 employees and a $2.5 billion budget.
"The assistant secretary of Indian Affairs is described as the top official within the federal government that has exclusive responsibility for Indian Affairs. I have a trust responsibility under United States law to protect the political integrity, the lands and the natural resources of American Indians and Alaskan Natives."
President Barack Obama nominated Brother EchoHawk to his present post. The U.S. Senate confirmed him on May 19, and he was sworn in May 22 by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.
His prior professional experience includes time in the Idaho Legislature, as a prosecuting attorney, as the Gem State's Attorney General and, most recently, as a professor at the BYU Law School. However, the experience that most prepared Brother EchoHawk for his current work occurred more than two decades ago when he worked as the attorney for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in Idaho from 1977-86.
"It was a critical experience," he said. "It introduced me to the complex arena of federal Indian law from the Indian perspective, and it gave me a good working knowledge of how Indian tribal governments struggle to provide services within their communities. I learned how vital federal resources are to the efforts of tribal governments to provide services and protections for their people."
Beholden to Spencer W. Kimball
When Brother EchoHawk was 14, his family joined the Church. He earned a football scholarship to BYU; although a quarterback for Farmington High School in New Mexico, he played defensive back for the Cougars.
During his teenage and college years, Brother EchoHawk developed a deep affinity for Elder Spencer W. Kimball, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Elder Kimball's affection for Native Americans held great sway in young Larry's heart.
"Spencer W. Kimball had a great love for American Indians," Brother EchoHawk said. "Many American Indians knew that and appreciated that he cared for them. In whatever way he thought was beneficial – spiritual, social, educational or cultural – he tried to help.
"I was a student at Brigham Young University when I heard his message about the importance of education and his vision of Indian people one day assuming positions of leadership and responsibility, and being placed in positions where they would be able to do good for native people across the country. I think that vision he spoke of helped to inspire me to get an education – in particular, a legal education – to try to help people."
After graduating from BYU in 1970, Brother EchoHawk attended the University of Utah's law school. He didn't return to BYU until 1994 when, shortly after suffering a narrow loss in Idaho's gubernatorial election, he joined the BYU Law School faculty.
The decision to leave BYU for a government appointment wasn't an easy one for him to make.
"I have often described my time teaching law at BYU as 'the perfect life,' " he said. "But when the call came to serve, I felt compelled to accept the call and to offer up whatever talents, experience and qualifications I have to give service to try to help people in need. Service is taught within the Church and by my parents, and this is an opportunity to give service to people I care deeply about."
Brother EchoHawk plans to return to BYU's law school when his work in Washington, D.C., ends. He received a two-year leave of absence from the law school with the option of applying for subsequent one-year leaves of absence if necessary.
"Larry has a quiet dignity and is a person of absolute integrity and character," said Jim Rasband, dean of the BYU Law School. "I don't think we can replace him in the law-school community. We look forward to his return, and we'll be excited to have him back."
Trial by fire
During his first couple of weeks on the job, Brother EchoHawk hit the ground running.
"When I came in, someone in the office of the Secretary of the Interior warned me that it would be like trying to drink out of a fire hose," he said. "That person spoke the truth. There are difficult critical issues facing tribes and Native peoples at this time. There are frequently lines of people waiting to see me. Several decisions were postponed until my arrival."
The daily demands on his time and geographic displacement away from the Wasatch Front have necessitated significant personal sacrifices for both him and his wife Terry.
"If I were searching for a word [to describe] the first five weeks," he said, "it would be 'grueling.' I get up at 5:15 in the morning, arrive at the office shortly after seven o'clock, and sometimes I don't leave until about seven in the evening. When I get home, I have a briefing book that I am supposed to read through to prepare me for the next day.
"So my time spent with my wife that I've been married to for over 40 years – that personal time with her has been diminished. In addition, I am away from our six children and their spouses and our 23 grandchildren. That is the difficult part for me personally."
But ultimately, Brother EchoHawk's desire to serve his fellow Native Americans takes precedence over all other peripheral personal concerns.
"My wife and I both feel this chapter in our life is about service. It is about putting aside personal wants and desires, and just seeing what we can do to try to serve and do some good for others. . . .
"Native Americans are very spiritual people. They are very respectful, very dignified, and they are diverse – there are 562 tribes in the United States. It has just been a delight for me to meet a number of people who are very gracious, thoughtful and caring. They are among some of the best people I have ever met. This has been my favorite part of the job thus far. I am looking forward to being able to travel and go into Indian communities that I've never been to and meeting more of these people."
