AUGUST 2, 1948

PAWNEE LAWYER, PUBLIC OFFICIAL LARRY J. ECHO HAWK BORN

Raised in Farmington, New Mexico, Echo Hawk played football at Brigham Young University (1967-69) and earned Western Athletic Conference All-Academic Football honors (1969).  After BYU, he received a law degree from University of Utah (1973) and attended Stanford University’s MBA program (1974–75).  Starting as a legal aid attorney, Larry later became Chief General Legal Counsel to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation (1977), a member of the Idaho House of Representatives (1982-86), and state attorney general (1990).  In 1991, he received George Washington University’s Martin Luther King medal for contributions to human rights (1991) and, in 1992, spoke at the Democratic National Convention.  After serving as Professor of Law at BYU (1994-2008), he became Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs for the U.S. Dept. of the Interior (2009-12).  Since 2012, he has served the Mormon Church as a general authority and continues to serve as an emeritus general authority. 

Source:  Alysa Landry, “Echo Hawk reflects on a life of service,” Navajo Times, 8/1/2013.  Retrieved, 7/9/2019, https://www.navajotimes.com/politics/2013/0813/080113ech.php
Photo:  U.S. Department of the Interior, 2009.  Official photograph.  Public Domain.  Photograph taken by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.