WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced the addition of Wizipan Garriott, Tracie Stevens and Paul Tsosie to his immediate staff and senior policy team. They will support the Assistant Secretary as he moves forward in carrying out Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s Indian education and law enforcement initiatives, distributing Recovery Act funds to Indian Country, and overseeing Indian Affairs bureaus, offices and programs.
“I am pleased to announce the addition of Wizipan Garriott, Tracie Stevens and Paul Tsosie to my staff,” Echo Hawk said. “The knowledge, experience and abilities they bring to Indian Affairs will ensure that we can meet our priorities to protect Indian Country, advance Indian education and empower tribal communities.”
Garriott, an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota (Aske Gluwipi Tiyospaye [They Wrap Their Hair] Clan), is the Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, where he provides experience and counsel on a variety of policy matters.
Prior to his appointment on March 4, 2009, Garriott served as the First Americans Public Liaison for the Obama-Biden Transition Team where he helped develop the Obama administration’s transition plan for Indian policy. During the 2008 presidential campaign, he served as the First Americans Vote Director for Obama for America. As such, he advised on, coordinated outreach efforts, and developed policy on issues relating to American Indians for the campaign, as well as served on its American Indian Policy Advisory Council. Garriott had previously worked for then-Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota (2003) and for Washington, D.C., firms Olsson, Frank & Weeda, P.C., and Perkins Coie LLP (2005 and 2006, respectively). He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from Yale University (2003) and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law (2008).
Stevens, an enrolled member of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington State, is the Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs. She joined the Assistant Secretary’s staff on July 13, bringing with her almost 15 years of experience from working for her tribe in both government and business operations. In her most recent position as Senior Policy Analyst with her tribe’s government affairs office, she managed day-to-day operations, including overseeing external public affairs and lobbying functions, carried out advocacy and networking efforts, and served on state, regional and national Indian gaming-related boards and committees. She previously had served as a legislative policy analyst in the government affairs office working on tribal sovereignty, treaty rights and tribal governance issues.
Stevens began her professional career at her tribe’s casino where she developed expertise in business management and administration. Her work in human resource management, employee recruitment and training, and operations planning and analysis eventually led her to becoming the Tulalip Casino’s executive director for strategic planning. Stevens received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from the University of Washington-Seattle in 2006.
Tsosie, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah (Black Sheep Clan), started June 15 as the Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs. Tsosie is the proud father of two children.
Tsosie joined the Interior Department from his law practice, Tsosie & Hatch LLC, of West Jordan, Utah, which he started in 2002 with law partner Calvin Hatch, a Tsimshian member of the Metlakatla Indian Community in Alaska. Tsosie & Hatch LLC focused on Indian law, and as a result represented various Indian tribes in Utah and Nevada. Tsosie also practiced criminal law, as both a prosecutor and defender, in various state, federal and tribal courts. Tsosie also holds tribal court, state and federal bar memberships in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio (pro hac vice) and Texas (pro hac vice).
In addition to his law practice, Tsosie worked as a lobbyist for the Navajo Nation on tribal-state matters and as a paralegal teacher for the Utah Career College class on Criminal Law and Civil Litigation. He also has served on the boards of several Salt Lake City-based organizations that address social and legal services needs of juveniles, American Indians and indigents.
Tsosie received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Native American Studies (1997) from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He also holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from BYU’s Romney Institute of Public Management (2002) and a Juris Doctor degree from the university’s J. Reuben Clark Law School (2002). Tsosie also is a graduate of the Pre Law Summer Institute at the University of New Mexico, which is a program designed to prepare American Indian students for the rigors of law school.
Among his student achievements, Tsosie served as secretary (1999-2000) and president (2000- 2001) of the law school’s Minority Law Student Association and president (1999-2000) of its Native American Law Student Association. His honors include the BYU Faculty Award for Meritorious Achievement and Distinguished Service (2001 and 2002) and Native American Law Student Association Indian Law Award (2002), as well as the Utah Bar Foundation Public Interest Law Award and Scholarship (2000).
