Kevin Washburn, a University of New Mexico Law School dean, has been nominated to oversee the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – Tribal leaders and others are praising the nomination of Kevin Washburn, a University of New Mexico Law School dean, to oversee the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, saying he’s well-qualified and understands the issues facing American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
New Mexico U.S. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall said they would push for the swift confirmation of Washburn in the Senate. Washburn will succeed Larry Echo Hawk, who resigned earlier this year, if the nomination is approved.
“While Kevin will surely be missed on the UNM campus, I have every confidence that he is a great fit for this position,” Udall said.
Washburn is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and has been UNM law school dean since June 2009. He previously taught at law schools at the University of Arizona and the University of Minnesota and was a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. He was general counsel for the National Indian Gaming commission from 2000 to 2002, and a federal prosecutor in New Mexico from 1997 to 2000.
Washburn said he’s deeply honored by the nomination.
“It’s an exceedingly important responsibility to serve the nation’s Indian tribes and the Indian people,” he told the Albuquerque Journal. “It’s been very difficult to make the decision to leave New Mexico because I really love the law community here in New Mexico.”
Washburn worked with the National Congress of American Indians to develop and pass a federal law aimed at combating crime on reservations, known as the Tribal Law and Order Act. Washburn is known as an expert in federal American Indian law and policy, with a focus on law enforcement, the group said.
“He has had a remarkable career, and I’m very confident in his abilities,” Jefferson Keel, the group’s president and lieutenant governor of the Chickasaw Nation, said Friday. “Law enforcement and trust reform will be two of the most important issues for the BIA in the coming years. Kevin’s experience as a federal prosecutor will be a great benefit.”
Navajo President Ben Shelly said the tribe is looking forward to Washburn’s expertise in advancing issues in Indian Country, such as economic development, infrastructure, renewable energy, and improving public safety and education.
The priorities are similar for the National American Indian Housing Council and other tribes. President Barack Obama recently signed a bill designated to expedite home building and energy development on tribal lands, but council Chairwoman Cheryl A. Causley said much work remains.
“I also commend President Obama for the timely selection of an extraordinarily well-qualified Native American with vast experience and in-depth understanding of the issues that are facing tribal communities today,” she said.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Washburn would be “an excellent addition to our team.
“His strong professional and academic experience will be a key asset to the department as we continue to strengthen the integrity of the government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes and empower Native American and Alaska Native communities,” Salazar said.