EchoHawk Sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs

After being confirmed by the United States Senate on May 19, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar officially swore in Larry EchoHawk as the 11th Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs on Friday in a brief private ceremony on May 22.

Following the ceremony Salazar said, “I am very pleased to welcome Larry EchoHawk to the Interior Department. 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 under the Recovery Act.”

A public ceremony is scheduled at Interior Department headquarters in the next few weeks.

EchoHawk made the following statement after being sworn in.

“I want to thank President Obama and Secretary Salazar for this opportunity to be a part of their efforts to bring positive change to Indian Country. I also want to thank the Congress and tribal leaders for their confidence and support. To the Indian Affairs employees, I want to express my appreciation for their dedication to serving the American Indian and Alaska Native people. We will continue to honor the federal trust responsibility, to support tribal self-determination and to make a positive difference in the tribal communities we serve.”

EchoHawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and a former US Marine, was elected as the state of Idaho’s Attorney General in 1990…the first Native American in US history to hold that office in any state.