President Barack Obama announced Friday that he intends to nominate Brigham Young University law professor Larry EchoHawk to lead the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, ending months of speculation that EchoHawk might not be selected because some tribes worried he may oppose tribal casinos.
EchoHawk, 60, a Pawnee, was the first Native American to be elected to a statewide office when he served as Idaho's attorney general from 1991 to 1995 after previously serving as a state legislator. He was the Democratic nominee in the 1994 Idaho gubernatorial race, but he lost the election. The former BYU football player has taught since then at BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said of the nomination, "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."
Crossing my fingers, We need true leadership not influenced leadership. It is too bad that we may lose gaming, in California we will be losing it in 2020 anyhow, the state is going to come up with something before then to neutralize indian casino revenue. I have more faith in my sister tribes to initialize a more productive and synergistic approach competitive revenue.
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