Difference between revisions of "Larry EchoHawk"

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[[Image:Larry_EchoHawk.jpg|right|frame|Larry EchoHawk, U.S. Secretary of Indian Affairs]]
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[[Image:Larry_EchoHawk.jpg|left|125px|alt=Mormon Larry EchoHawk, U.S. Secretary of Indian Affairs|Larry EchoHawk, U.S. Secretary of Indian Affairs]]
Larry EchoHawk was born August 2, 1948, in Cody, Wyoming. EchoHawk is an attorney and legal scholar. On May 20, 2009, Echowawk joined the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama as the head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (New York Times, May 20, 2009).
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'''Larry Echo Hawk''' was born August 2, 1948, in Cody, Wyoming. Echo Hawk is an attorney and legal scholar. He works as special legal counsel with the Utah Attorney General’s office.
  
Echohawk joined [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (Mormon, or LDS Church) at age 14 in Farmington, New Mexico. He has served as a [[Stake President|stake president]], [[bishop]], and as member of a high council. At the time he was elected State Attorney General in Idaho he was serving as a member of the board of trustees of LDS Social Services (Wikipedia.org).
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On May 20, 2009, Echo Hawk joined the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama as the head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs.
  
EchoHawk, 60, a Pawnee who was the attorney general of Idaho and a legislator there, was the first American Indian in U.S. history to be elected to a statewide office. He received a bachelor's degree from BYU (where he played on the football team) and his law degree from the University of Utah (Deseret News, May 29, 2009).
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Echo Hawk joined [http://comeuntochrist.org The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] (sometimes casually called the [[Mormon]], or LDS Church) at age 14 in Farmington, New Mexico. He has served as a [[Stake President|stake president]], [[bishop]], and as a member of a high council. At the time he was elected State Attorney General in Idaho he was serving as a member of the board of trustees of Church Social Services.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Echo_Hawk]
  
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar swore him in as Assistant secretary of Indian Affairs, and said, "I will rely on his steady leadership as we move forward to protect tribal communities, advance Indian education, carry out our trust responsibilities, support sustainable tribal economies and address Indian country's infrastructure needs."
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Echo Hawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation, who was the attorney general of Idaho and a legislator there, was the first American Indian in U.S. history to be elected to a statewide office. He received a bachelor's degree from [[Brigham Young University]] (where he played on the football team) and his law degree from the University of Utah. From 1994 to 2009, he taught courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, and federal Indian law as a professor at BYU's [[J. Reuben Clark]] Law School. Previously, Echo Hawk served as chief legal counsel for the Shoshone and Bannock Indians on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.[https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/1/29/21114310/elder-larry-echo-hawk-lds-mormon-general-authority-bear-river-massacre-idaho-shoshone-history]
  
EchoHawk pledged to "continue to honor the federal trust responsibility, to support tribal self-determination and to make a positive difference in the tribal communities we serve. He will make education, economic development and law enforcement three areas of focus for his work.
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Interior Secretary Ken Salazar swore him in as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, and said, "I will rely on his steady leadership as we move forward to protect tribal communities, advance Indian education, carry out our trust responsibilities, support sustainable tribal economies and address Indian country's infrastructure needs."
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Echo Hawk pledged to "continue to honor the federal trust responsibility, to support tribal self-determination and to make a positive difference in the tribal communities we serve. He said he would make education, economic development, and law enforcement three areas of focus for his work.
  
 
:"Many of these people live in poverty. There are communities of American Indians that have nearly 80 percent unemployment. I'm going to do whatever I can to improve their quality of life," he said.
 
:"Many of these people live in poverty. There are communities of American Indians that have nearly 80 percent unemployment. I'm going to do whatever I can to improve their quality of life," he said.
  
In his new job, he will develop the Department of the Interior's policy on Indian-related issues, and make budget recommendations affecting Indian education, public safety, social health and welfare, economic development and other issues.
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In his job with the Obama administration, he will develop the Department of the Interior's policy on Indian-related issues, and make budget recommendations affecting Indian education, public safety, social health and welfare, economic development, and other issues.
  
He also oversees agencies that carry out those functions, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Office of Indian Gaming, the Office of Self-Governance, the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development and others (Deseret News).
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He also oversaw agencies that carry out those functions, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Office of Indian Gaming, the Office of Self-Governance, the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development and others.[https://www.deseret.com/2009/5/21/20319066/echohawk-pledges-to-ease-indian-woes]
  
EchoHawk's responsibilities include protecting tribal assets on 60 million acres of land, and promoting self-determination and education for 1.9 million Native Americans in 562 federally recognized tribes in the United States. He oversees 10,000 employees and a $2.5 billion budget at the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education, which administers one of two federal school systems.  
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Echo Hawk's responsibilities included protecting tribal assets on 60 million acres of land, and promoting self-determination and education for 1.9 million Native Americans in 562 federally recognized tribes in the United States. He oversaw 10,000 employees and a $2.5 billion budget at the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education, which administered one of two federal school systems.  
  
Echohawk said he has had many requests from native communities for assistance and likened his new job to "trying to sip water from a fire hose."  
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Echo Hawk said he has had many requests from native communities for assistance and likened his new job to "trying to sip water from a fire hose."  
  
 
:"It's scary, but in my heart I know I want to do what is fair and just. I want to not only be a good trustee, but an agent for change." [http://mormontimes.com/people_news/people_church/?id=10127]
 
:"It's scary, but in my heart I know I want to do what is fair and just. I want to not only be a good trustee, but an agent for change." [http://mormontimes.com/people_news/people_church/?id=10127]
  
EchoHawk calls Native Americans "the most spiritual people I know."  
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Echo Hawk describes Native Americans as "the most spiritual people I know."  
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Larry Echo Hawk and his wife, Terry, are the parents of six children.
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==Updates==
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In April 2012, after serving for a period of 2 years in the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Larry Echo Hawk was sustained as a [[General Authority]] of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Echo Hawk resigned his U.S. Government position to serve as a member of the First Quorum of the [[Seventy]] under the [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]]. He was granted emeritus status at [[General Conference]] on October 6, 2018.
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*[http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53830640-78/echohawk-church-lds-elder.html.csp Praise for Elder EchoHawk comes from Democrats and Indian leaders]
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[[Category:Famous Mormons]][[Category:Brigham Young University faculty]]
  
Larry EchoHawk and his wife Terrie lived in Utah prior to his new assignment.  Together, they have six children.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Echo Hawk, Larry}}
[[Category:Famous Mormons]]
 

Latest revision as of 18:04, 27 January 2022

Mormon Larry EchoHawk, U.S. Secretary of Indian Affairs

Larry Echo Hawk was born August 2, 1948, in Cody, Wyoming. Echo Hawk is an attorney and legal scholar. He works as special legal counsel with the Utah Attorney General’s office.

On May 20, 2009, Echo Hawk joined the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama as the head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Echo Hawk joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes casually called the Mormon, or LDS Church) at age 14 in Farmington, New Mexico. He has served as a stake president, bishop, and as a member of a high council. At the time he was elected State Attorney General in Idaho he was serving as a member of the board of trustees of Church Social Services.[1]

Echo Hawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation, who was the attorney general of Idaho and a legislator there, was the first American Indian in U.S. history to be elected to a statewide office. He received a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University (where he played on the football team) and his law degree from the University of Utah. From 1994 to 2009, he taught courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, and federal Indian law as a professor at BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School. Previously, Echo Hawk served as chief legal counsel for the Shoshone and Bannock Indians on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.[2]

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar swore him in as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, and said, "I will rely on his steady leadership as we move forward to protect tribal communities, advance Indian education, carry out our trust responsibilities, support sustainable tribal economies and address Indian country's infrastructure needs."

Echo Hawk pledged to "continue to honor the federal trust responsibility, to support tribal self-determination and to make a positive difference in the tribal communities we serve. He said he would make education, economic development, and law enforcement three areas of focus for his work.

"Many of these people live in poverty. There are communities of American Indians that have nearly 80 percent unemployment. I'm going to do whatever I can to improve their quality of life," he said.

In his job with the Obama administration, he will develop the Department of the Interior's policy on Indian-related issues, and make budget recommendations affecting Indian education, public safety, social health and welfare, economic development, and other issues.

He also oversaw agencies that carry out those functions, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Office of Indian Gaming, the Office of Self-Governance, the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development and others.[3]

Echo Hawk's responsibilities included protecting tribal assets on 60 million acres of land, and promoting self-determination and education for 1.9 million Native Americans in 562 federally recognized tribes in the United States. He oversaw 10,000 employees and a $2.5 billion budget at the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education, which administered one of two federal school systems.

Echo Hawk said he has had many requests from native communities for assistance and likened his new job to "trying to sip water from a fire hose."

"It's scary, but in my heart I know I want to do what is fair and just. I want to not only be a good trustee, but an agent for change." [4]

Echo Hawk describes Native Americans as "the most spiritual people I know."

Larry Echo Hawk and his wife, Terry, are the parents of six children.

Updates

In April 2012, after serving for a period of 2 years in the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Larry Echo Hawk was sustained as a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Echo Hawk resigned his U.S. Government position to serve as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy under the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was granted emeritus status at General Conference on October 6, 2018.