Larry EchoHawk, the first Native American elected to a constitutional statewide office, recently reflected on a legal career defined by his efforts to protect tribal treaty rights and serve Native communities. The former Idaho Attorney General traced his path from playing football at Brigham Young University to holding significant roles in both state and federal government.
From football scholarship to law school
EchoHawk’s decision to pursue law was prompted by his older brother, John, a trailblazer who was the $1^{st}$ Native American graduate of the University of New Mexico Law School. According to EchoHawk, his brother suggested that a law degree would provide the power to change laws and improve the lives of Native people at a time when fewer than a dozen Native Americans held law degrees.
Before entering the legal profession, EchoHawk was a starting free safety on the BYU football team in the late 1960s. He attended the university as a physical education major on a scholarship. Following his undergraduate studies, he participated in the Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indians and Alaska Natives at the University of New Mexico before applying to the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.
Establishing a legal practice
EchoHawk described his admission to the University of Utah as an eleventh-hour occurrence. He noted that he lacked the typical credentials of a standard applicant, but after meeting with admissions dean Ron Harding, he secured admission just one week before classes began by promising the dean that his work ethic would prove his worth.
After graduating, EchoHawk worked at California Indian Legal Services in California before returning to Salt Lake City in 1975. There, he opened a solo practice to assist local Native Americans and later hired attorney Bill Thorne as demand for his services grew.
Defending tribal treaty rights
In 1977, EchoHawk sought to work specifically as a tribal lawyer. He applied for a contract with the Shoshone-Bannock Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho. Despite competition from large law firms based in cities like Washington D.C., Boise, and Salt Lake City, the tribal community selected him because of his background as a Native American attorney.
During his five years serving the reservation, EchoHawk represented the tribe during the Sagebrush Rebellion. He worked to protect an 1868 treaty that guaranteed tribal hunting rights on federal lands, which were threatened by the movement's push for increased state control over federal territories.
Legislative and state leadership
EchoHawk’s advocacy in the Idaho legislature led to his election to the Idaho House of Representatives in 1982. He noted that at the time, Idaho ranked last in the nation for per-pupil expenditures and he sought to improve education for his six children. During his legislative tenure, he sponsored legislation to create an Indian Affairs committee and worked to revise Idaho statutes that previously only contained provisions detrimental to tribal communities.
Following his two terms in the state house, EchoHawk served four years as the Bannock County attorney. He later served as the Attorney General of Idaho from 1991 to 1995.
Federal service and legacy
A member of the Pawnee tribe, EchoHawk's career also included federal service. During the Clinton-Gore administration, he served as a national co-chair for Native Americans. Additionally, BYU Law School lists him as an emeritus faculty member.
