Idahoans of all persuasions, political as well as religious, should congratulate their former attorney general on his call to serve as a general authority and a member of the LDS Church’s First Quorum of the Seventy. It is an honor long overdue. EchoHawk, 63, was also the 1994 Democratic nominee for governor, but lost narrowly to former Lt. Governor Phil Batt. The Wilder State Senator won 52% to 48% giving EchoHawk the distinction of being the first Native American to come close to being elected governor. EchoHawk, a Pawnee, is currently the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. To know Larry is to like him. He’s just one of those truly fine people all too rare nowadays/Chris Carlson, Ridenbaugh Press. More here. (AP file photo: Terry EchoHawk wipes the tears away as her husband, Larry EchoHawk, concedes his bid for Idaho governor on Nov. 9, 1994, in Boise)

Question: Do you remember Larry EchoHawk?

The biggest strike against EchoHawk (shown as a 1994 gubernatorial candidate with Republican winner Phil Batt and Independent Ron Rankin) has been repeated time and again throughout Indian country: When he served as Idaho’s attorney general from 1991 to 1995, he called on the governor to change the language of state legislation so the state no longer would have a legal obligation under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to negotiate for Class III gaming with Idaho’s tribes. It’s a true charge, and EchoHawk is now making a special effort to indicate that he isn’t in favor of taking away any tribal gaming rights if he gets the nod to head the BIA/Rob Capriccioso, Indian Country Today. More here.

Question: Should local Indian tribes support Larry EchoHawk’s nomination for the Indian Affairs post, given his past opposition as Idaho attorney general to Indian gaming?