FirstPersonRadio-JohnEchohawk-2011-04-20
John Echohawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, was a co-founder of the Native American Rights Fund in 1970 and has been its Executive Director since 1977.
The Native American Rights Fund has been involved in most of the major Indian rights litigation since 1970. John serves on many national boards and has received numerous service awards and other recognition for his leadership in the Indian law field. In 1992, he served on the Clinton-Gore transition team for the Department of the Interior and in 2008 he served on the Obama-Biden transition team for the Department of the Interior. B.A., University of New Mexico (1967); J.D., University of New Mexico (1970); admitted to practice law in Colorado.
From the American Indian Report:
Since launching in 1970 in Berkeley, Calif., with a $155,000 planning grant from the Ford Foundation, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has been at the forefront of some major Indian Country legal cases, like a water rights case that resulted in the Fort McDowell Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 1990,California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians and the Cobell case.
The Boulder, Colo.-based organization, the oldest and largest non-profit law firm dedicated to asserting and defending the rights of Native American tribes, organizations and individuals, has impacted tens of thousands of lives through its work, from protecting and establishing the inherent sovereignty of tribes to preserving hunting and fishing rights to protecting voting rights.
NARF marked its 40th anniversary with a “40 Years of Indian Law Forum” and dinner held on Oct. 29 at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla. At the event, the firm reflected on its past work, which included honoring 40 clients, board members, staff members and funders who significantly contributed to its success, but it also focused on its future path. (Complete interview HERE)
First Person Radio hosts Laura Waterman Wittstock and Richard LaFortune with Andy Driscoll talk with John Echohawk (Pawnee) about his illustrious legal career as an attorney, as leader of the Native American Rights Fund, and about his political work on behalf of Indian Country. This is a show not to be missed!
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Quick Note: Monday evening, April 18, Laura Waterman Wittstock was presented with the Frank Premack Farr Award for a life of service to Indian journalism, education and advocacy. There to chant an Honor Song in her behalf was the Little Earth of United Tribes Drum and players. It was stunning and stirring – and we congratulate our colleague, once more.
“Laura was the quiet force behind the scenes cultivating the next group of young journalists through her programming at Migizi Communications. She provided young people with an opportunity to learn about the communications industry and gave them the tools to tell their own stories,” said board chairman Art Coulson.
JOHN ECHOHAWK – Co-Founder and Executive Director, Native American Rights Fund