President Barack Obama will nominate Larry EchoHawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, to run the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the White House said today.
In 1990, EchoHawk became the first Native American elected to a statewide office. He served as attorney general of Idaho for four years.
EchoHawk, a close friend of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, currently serves as a law professor at the Brigham Young University. He is of
counsel to the EchoHawk Law
Offices in Idaho.
"Our success in rebuilding America and laying the groundwork for a safer, more prosperous future depends in no small part on the talent, expertise, and dedication of public servants like these men and women," Obama said as he announced EchoHawk and other administration posts. " I am confident that each of them will meet and exceed the high standard that the American people expect and deserve."
"Larry EchoHawk has the right leadership abilities, legislative experience and legal expertise to bring about the transformative improvements we all seek for Indian Country. He is a dedicated public servant and an excellent choice for Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs," Salazar said today.
EchoHawk will go before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee for confirmation.
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