As the assistant secretary of Interior for Indian Affairs, EchoHawk will develop the Interior Department's policy on Indian-related issues, and make budget recommendations affecting Indian education, public safety, social health and welfare, economic development and other issues.

He also oversees agencies that carry out those functions, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Office of Indian Gaming, the Office of Self-Governance, the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development and other Interior offices relating to Indian tribes and issues.

Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said last week that the office of assistant secretary for Indian Affairs has been vacant for four of the past eight years, and he called that "shameful." He said EchoHawk should bring "needed stability" to the post.

The nomination of EchoHawk flew rapidly through Congress once his nomination was made.

Obama announced his nomination on April 10. EchoHawk's confirmation hearing was on May 7. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee endorsed him on May 14.

However, his expected nomination initially was held up for a few months when some tribes worried aloud that he may oppose tribal casinos.

When he was Idaho's attorney general, he angered some tribes after Idaho passed a constitutional amendment to allow a lottery, with a promise that the amendment would not allow other gambling forms. When federal officials said the amendment's loose wording should allow tribal casinos anyway, EchoHawk's office suggested a special legislative session to fix the wording.

During EchoHawk's confirmation hearing, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., offered the only criticism made of EchoHawk by saying he was too vague on such questions as whether tribes should be allowed to operate casinos off their reservations and whether Indian gaming is sufficiently regulated.

EchoHawk said Wednesday, "The confirmation process is very long and a little frustrating, because it takes so much time. So I'm glad that's over, and I just look forward to doing the work."

EchoHawk received a bachelor's degree from BYU, and his law degree from the University of Utah.

He told BYU students in a speech a few years ago that his unique last name is the English translation of the name given to his great-grandfather.

"Among the Pawnee, the hawk is a symbol of a warrior. My great-grandfather was known for his bravery, but he was also known as a quiet man who did not speak of his own deeds. As a member of his tribe spoke of his good deeds, it was like an echo from one side of the village to the other. Thus he was named Echo Hawk," he said.

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