A thread of federally-recognized tribe-enrolled possible nominees for Secretary of the Interior who have demonstrated their understanding of the Treaties of 1866 and the issues facing Freedmen of the Five Tribes.

1. Kevin Gover. An enrolled member of the Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, He has practiced & taught Indian law, natural resources law, water law, environmental law, and housing law since the 1980s. He served as the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs from 1997-2000 under Clinton.

As Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, Gover rejected a proposed change to the Seminole Nation’s constitution which would have led to the disenrollment of their Freedmen in 2000. https://www.indianz.com/News/show.asp?ID=law02/01162002-5

2. Larry Echo Hawk. A long-time politician and lawyer and an enrolled member of the Pawnee Nation in Cody, Wyoming, Echo Hawk also served as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs from 2009-2012 under Pres. Obama.

During his tenure, the government increased the amount of land held in trust for federally recognized Native American tribes by 158,000 acres, supporting efforts to be self-supportive and to reconnect fragmented reservations. He oversaw several water agreements made with tribes.

While leading Indian Affairs, he oversaw the formation of the Tribal Leadership Conference, which provides for an annual meeting between leaders or other representatives of the 566 federally recognized tribes, the U.S. President and all members of the Cabinet.

He also stood against a vote by the Cherokee Nation that later led to the disenrollment of Cherokee Freedmen, writing
"The [Interior] Department's position is, and has been that the 1866 Treaty between the United States and the Cherokee Nation vested Cherokee Freedmen with

rights of citizenship in the Nation, including the right of suffrage.” https://www.indianz.com/News/2011/09/13/bia-warns-cherokee-nation-abou.asp

3. Carl Artman. A member of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, Artman is an attorney focused on tribal law and environmental law. He served as the tenth Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior from 2007-2008.