Larry Echo HawkPAWNEE, Okla. – Larry Echo Hawk, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, will be meeting with tribal leaders from Oklahoma and Kansas during a listening conference Oct. 23 at the Pawnee Nation Wellness Center.
Hosted by the Pawnee Nation, Pawnee Nation College and the Crowe and Dunlevy law firm, the conference is a chance for tribal leaders and community members  from Oklahoma and Kansas to meet and talk with Echo Hawk about core issues important to their respective tribes.
“The Pawnee Nation College is honored to host and co-sponsor the Listening Conference with Assistant Secretary Echo Hawk, as such an event will provide an opportunity for tribal leaders from Kansas and Oklahoma to voice their concerns in a collegiate, academic environment that takes as its mission the sovereign rights of all Indian people,” Todd Fuller, Pawnee Nation College president, said.
Tribal leaders and their chosen representatives will also have an opportunity to speak freely and submit written statements to the assistant secretary during a private roundtable session moderated by Osage Nation Chief, Jim Gray. No press will be allowed during this period.
Andrew E. Gray, a Pawnee Nation College professor, said he was very pleased and honored to have the Listening Conference held at PNC and hopes for a new direction between the tribes and the United States government that will benefit all Native people.
The conference begins at 9 a.m. with a welcome that includes the Pawnee Flag Song. At 9:30, Echo Hawk is slated to give the opening address.
Kansas tribal issues will be discussed  followed by a segment on Oklahoma water rights which will run until lunch time.
Lunch, sponsored by the Prairie Band Potawatomie and Osage nations, will be served at noon concurrently with a cultural presentation from the Northern Plains Indian Club of Pawnee.
Tribal college officials will discuss Indian education issues after the lunch break.
As of press  time, former Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller has been invited to discuss Indian youth issues, but not confirmed. Later, a gaming issues session is scheduled that will include National Indian Gaming Commission acting Chairman George Skibine.
An hour-long session on land-into-trust issues will be held to conclude the conference followed by final remarks by Echo Hawk. The Pawnee Nation College song will be performed to close the public portion of the event.
A traditional meal sponsored by Otoe-Missouri Tribe will be served at 5:15 before the private  roundtable for tribal leaders at 6:30 p.m. The conference will adjourn at 8:30 p.m.
On Oct. 24, the Pawnee Nation will also honor Echo Hawk, a Marine Corps veteran, with a feast and War Dance at the Wellness Center.
“Secretary Echo Hawk’s appearance at Pawnee Nation is a great opportunity for tribal leaders from Oklahoma and Kansas tribes to express our views on federal policy,” Michael McBride III, chairman of Crowe and Dunlevy, said. “It will be a great homecoming and a great way to recognize the Pawnee Nation College.
For more information, see the agenda printed here or contact Andrew Gray by calling (417) 214-1125 or (918) 762-3343, or by e-mailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..