Promises in Pawnee: Secretary Echo Hawk meets with tribal leaders, citizens

PAWNEE, Okla. – In a voice that sometimes broke with emotion, Larry Echo Hawk, assistant secretary of Indian Affairs, addressed tribal leaders and citizens Friday in the Pawnee Nation College Wellness Center.

Echo Hawk spoke of the long and turbulent history tribes have with federal policy and law. He told of ways the U.S. government has worked to undermine tribal sovereignty, using the 1885 Major Indian Crimes Act and Allotment as an example.

The Major Indian Crimes Act “asserted the authority of the United States over all Indian lands. What they wanted to do was apply their federal laws inside of Indian Country,” he said. “If you look at the U.S. Constitution, where is the authority of Congress to do such things? It’s not there. There is only a couple of places in the U.S. Constitution that Indians are mentioned.”

Echo Hawk said the U.S. Supreme Court named Native people wards of the United States and with that responsibility, of being the guardian to the ward. Even though there is no basis in the Constitution for it, the court created the power that the trustee or guardian has authority to pass laws.

“To me that is wrong. Who created that situation by force? The United States created that dependent relation,” he said.

Then Congress passed the General Allotment Act in 1887, which through 1934 removed 90 million acres of land from Indian ownership.

“You’d think a guardian would pass good laws,” he said.

He spoke of treaties and Congress changing them to the detriment of Native people. He spoke of termination and the attempt to break the tribes’ ties to their native lands.

His voice broke. “You see why I’m hesitating to become the face of federal government?”

Echo Hawk said he wants the chance to do what is right and just – that it is not enough to be a good and honorable trustee.

“I’ve decided to be an agent of change…I said yes because I think there’s a chance that I can do something that’s never been done before.”

One change he mentioned was to the Department of Interior’s 2011 budget, which hasn’t increased in 10 years. The revised budget information is currently embargoed and Congress will have to review it, but Echo Hawk promised good news when it is released.

He ended his address promising to do the best he can.

“I’m going to give it all I can. I know I’m going to make mistakes. I won’t be perfect. But I want you to know, I will always try to do the very best of my ability to do what is right and just. And I ask for forgiveness. Many of the decisions I will make are tribe versus tribe.  I’m going to disappoint someone. I will disappoint someone that I love. When I make those decisions all I can promise you is I will do my best.”

At the conclusion of the public session, Echo Hawk met privately with tribal leaders for a round table discussion that was closed to the media and the public.