"It is difficult to believe that we are already nearing the halfway mark of President Barack Obama’s first term in office. I have been honored to serve on behalf of President Obama as the assistant secretary for Indian Affairs over the past 16 months. When I accepted the president’s call to service, I pledged to do several things: Restore stability to an office that had seen too many occupants in recent years; make the department accessible to Indian country; and, accomplish meaningful change on issues important to tribal nations.

Under President Obama’s and Secretary Salazar’s leadership, we are honoring that pledge by ushering in a new era of federal Indian policy, an era in which the United States restores its obligation to tribal nations by fulfilling tribal needs that have gone unmet in the past.

The president set the foundation for this work by hosting the historic Tribal Nations Summit on Nov. 5, 2009, when he signed the Presidential Memorandum reinforcing the federal government’s obligation to consult with tribal nations.

We have since taken action to implement and refine the consultation process, and the counsel provided by Indian country has already had an impact on federal policy in a number of areas.

Together with Secretary Salazar, I established an agenda that begins the work of restoring our obligation to Indian country. This agenda focuses on restoring tribal land bases, improving public safety and education in Indian country, along with aiding tribes in economic development."

Get the Story:
Larry Echo Hawk: Restoring the trust (Indian Country Today 10/26)