Colorado Historical Society
John Echohawk
1.2 percent Indian representation on Obama’s transition team
Leaders hope voices will influence remaining administration picks
By
Rob Capriccioso
Story Published:
Dec 5, 2008
Story Updated:
Dec 4, 2008
WASHINGTON – Six Native Americans have been officially named to President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team.
The majority of the group is working on Interior Department-related matters, with three current and former lawyers with the Native American Rights Fund, including John Echohawk, Keith Harper and Robert Anderson, advising the former senator from Illinois on proposed changes within the department that encompasses the BIA.
Echohawk has served as NARF’s executive director for more than 30 years, and worked as a transition adviser to former President Bill Clinton.
Harper, who has been named as a “team lead” for the Interior Department transition, has long been the head NARF lawyer in the infamous Cobell v. Kempthorne case. Through his work on the lawsuit, he has helped represent a half-million Native landowners who claim the agency mismanaged billions of dollars of their income earned from sales of timber, oil and gas, and grazing leases.
Anderson, meanwhile, previously worked for a dozen years as a senior staff attorney for NARF, where he litigated tribal, state and federal cases, including water, hunting and fishing rights lawsuits.
In addition to the Interior transition developments, Mary Smith, Mary McNeil and Yvette Robideaux – all American Indians – have been assigned to work on justice, agriculture and health issues.
Members of Obama’s transition team have been instructed not to talk about their specific contributions, but Amy Brundage, a spokeswoman for the transition team said their appointments are consistent with Obama’s campaign pledges to Indian country.
“Just as he said during the campaign, President-elect Obama will listen to the specific needs of tribal communities and Native Americans will have a partner in the White House,” Brundage said.
“During this transition process it is important for us to bring together people of all backgrounds, as President-elect Obama has done throughout his career.”
Brundage also said that there are roughly 500 individuals serving on Obama’s transition team overall, which means that the six Native members equate to approximately 1.2 percent of its composition.
As the transition team has taken shape, Indian country observers have increasingly shared their thoughts on what they hope Native voices can bring to the table.
“Our goal is to have Indian country appointments made early,” said Jacqueline Johnson Pata, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians in a conference call with several tribal leaders soon after Obama was elected.
“The immediate appointments needed are the Secretary of Interior, the White House advisor on Indian nations, and we’d like to have a Native American in the Office of Personnel.”
As of press time, none of these major Indian country appointments have been made, but tribal leaders continue to closely watch developments. With Obama’s economic and national security teams already nailed down, some political observers are expecting the appointments to be announced in short order.
For many tribal leaders, Obama’s choice for a Native White House advisor is one of the most anticipated moves that he has yet to make. He made the promise to create and fill this new position several times throughout the course of his campaign.
NCAI noted in a transition document dated Nov. 17 that the White House Senior Advisor to the President for American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes would answer directly to the president’s chief of staff and would be the principal advisor to the president on all matters related to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and Native individuals.
The person in this role would also be the primary contact for tribal governments and Native individuals and would coordinate policy across Congress and the federal departments and agencies.
More hopes from Indian country have been raised as a result of Obama’s choices of leadership within his transition team.
Johnson Pata noted in the conference call that John Podesta, former chief of staff to President Clinton, and Pete Rouse, former chief of staff to former Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., are serving as co-chairs of the transition team. She said that NCAI has positive relationships with both gentlemen, as well as other top officials with the transitions team.
“We are hoping that our linkages to these folks will really help us. We’re looking for every way to link to them in multiple ways so we can hit on our recommendations.”
NCAI has made several policy suggestions to the new administration, including noting the importance of working quickly to address Indian country issues and appointments.
“[T]ribal government issues have suffered from inattention during the transition and early years of many prior Administrations,” according to the NCAI transition document.
“If appointments and major policy decisions are delayed for extended periods, the long term issues in Indian country are left unaddressed and handed on to the next administration. Any significant reform efforts must be planned during the transition and start at the beginning of an Administration if they are to succeed.”
Johnson Pata said that NCAI continues to collect resumes of Native folks looking to be part of the Obama transition team and/or administration.
Administration and transition team updates can be followed at www.change.gov.
Tuesday, Jan 13 at 3:00 PM Anonymous wrote ...
Ask the Chief of the Choctaw Nation to fill one of the positions. He wasn't awarded the Freedom award for doing nothing. He is a very hard and strong leader.
14805513 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Tuesday, Dec 30 at 10:40 AM NewMexicoDine' wrote ...
Native Americans don't need to be represented by those Washington Redskins. We are tired of Native American lawyers who are all educated to work against their own people, their dictation to Natives back home is tiresome. We are tired of bureaucrats creating Special Trustee positions, upon their retirements, and believing that they know best for Indian communities. Do us a favor and get out of the way. Organizations like NCAI and NAFR are useless.
14225168 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Saturday, Dec 20 at 8:35 PM Marvin DeFoe, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Cheppewa wrote ...
Boojhoo, I and my fellow Native Jeff Savage,from Fond du Lac, Chippewa, was recently invited to build a Anishinabe Birch Bark Canoe to be part of a permanent exhibit at the National Museum of American Indian. My ancestors would call the President the "Great White Father" While we where there building a Anishinabe Jiiman we gave cultural diversity training to the visitors from all over the world, of what is to come, getting Washington ready for the "Great Brown Father "Obama"
13944568 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Dec 12 at 1:17 PM Grame wrote ...
Can we now expect to see 1.2 % Indian people in the Obama Cabinet now? I won't hold my breath!
13519783 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Dec 12 at 12:50 PM Nochigahneh wrote ...
Little hope in any administration of Native American needs moving up the priority list to the extent that it will make a difference. We shouldn't be fooling ourselves.
13518063 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Thursday, Dec 11 at 9:22 PM Robert X. Betancourt Jr. wrote ...
I hope that now Economic Developement with the promotion of traditional Values will create the Ronald Regan Dream of the Native Americans now proud and take care of themselves. Indian Sailability
13492248 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Thursday, Dec 11 at 12:40 PM jake wrote ...
now if we can 0nly get the indians to help the indians,theres 8 bands in our tribe 4 have recognition 4 dont(casinos) do you think they are helping the others the answers is no way.
13466803 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Tuesday, Dec 9 at 4:48 PM tepkat de humboldt anahuak wrote ...
obama already doesn't rep african americans as it is, even though that was the basis for his market ing, i mean election campaign. i dont want to say it, but are these native folks add merely for native support of the administration? Bush and his policies are directly involved with the Klamath River in Cali. Will Obmaba do something about this growing issue? 2020 is too long to remove dams that are slowing killin cultures and people. Those NARF attornies need to come to Humboldt, California.
13379133 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Dec 8 at 11:20 PM loyalheart wrote ...
i am not full blood native american but i think there needs to be more native american representation in the obama camp...some of these names i do not know, but bottom line...there needs to be more representation...more voice...native american culture is overlooked and it's time for change...
13338819 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Dec 8 at 12:47 PM bufungu wrote ...
eh i go poopy now..
13304304 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Dec 8 at 12:46 PM bungfungu wrote ...
me like artical
13304243 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Dec 7 at 10:31 PM Dave Hines wrote ...
I truly hope these Individuals representing all Tribes convinvce the powers that be, that the Indian Health Service is a complete failure. I hope they can get rid of the Vulchures in all the Service Units. I hope we can get truly qualified and devoted people to opperate this part of Native American Life.
13283528 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Saturday, Dec 6 at 4:59 AM suzanne o'meara wrote ...
should be more Indian representatives plus mystical-shaman depts planning for saving all the lives of the people & the wild animals, horses, rainfall .
13230434 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Dec 5 at 3:41 PM Diana Schneider wrote ...
Very Good Now Obama has a Very good Cabinet I just hope he will head their Advice.
13206524 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Dec 5 at 1:48 PM Lorrie E. Gunyah wrote ...
This is so great for our Native Americans to be in with Obamas staff, now my question is being I'm on Johnson O'Malley Program, will there a JOM Program for 2009, just wondering cause I enjoyed my time with the Program unfortunately our Corporation didn't apply, thinking there wouldn't be JOM Program, I'm here in Ketchikan, Alaska, oh yes, we are a state, the mail order catalogs don't think so, change extra, should maybe change this also. Thank you for your attention Sincerely Lorrie Gunyah
13198229 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Dec 5 at 6:53 AM ironwood wrote ...
Cool to see Natives finally involved. Hopefully the Interior pick will be sensitive to tribal issues. good story.
13180138 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Dec 5 at 6:48 AM quinaultbob wrote ...
Natives organized and got appointed as as voting members of the electorial College during the Clinton Election. The condition established an indian desk in each federal agency... We need the same in the Oboma admin. Eliminate OST Regionalize the BIA,IHS, Create new form of Land Ownership for INDIAN LANDS. Update IRA Update ICWA Update Tribal courts and jurisdiction issues cut back 200 federal crimes in indian country overhaul IHS... treaty says health care for all indians not just rez
13180089 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Dec 5 at 6:47 AM monroe wrote ...
Johnson Pata is incapable of determining what is fair and just in Indian Country. NCAI and NARF do nothing about crimes committed by corrupt tribal politicians. In fact, NCAI is bought and paid for by corruption. Corruption. 'Sponsors' dictate turning a blind eye. Indian theft victims are kept off rolls whiles theives of no Indian descent are enrolled;continued theivery with impunity. Johnson Pata should not have imput in what is or is not good for Indian theft victims.
13180074 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Add a comment
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