ST. PAUL, Minn. – Kevin Gover, outgoing assistant secretary for Indian Affairs, came full circle during the 57th annual convention of the National Congress of American Indians.
Three years ago, after Gover was appointed to head the BIA, his first public addresses occurred at the organization’s annual sessions in Santa Fe, N.M. Gover will leave the bureau Jan. 1.
“I think I re-instilled some confidence in the bureau. They were in pretty tough shape. They just had the feel of defeat in so many parts of the bureau,” Gover said in an exclusive interview before his final address on the convention floor.
“I think I convinced them that if you fight hard and long, you can win, even in a hostile political environment.”
Gover came into the BIA at a time when tribes were not willing to roll over and take things from the federal government at face value and they had an executive order from President Bill Clinton signed in 1994 that instructed all agencies to meet with the tribes on a government-to-government basis, which fueled the pro-active stance taken by most tribes.
He found himself embroiled in one of the largest class-actions lawsuits ever in this country when 300,000 Individual Indian Money account holders demanded in federal court to have an accounting of their funds and a rebuilding of the IIM and trust fund management system.
Under his watch a new accounting system was put in place and remains under construction. It met with skepticism and continued criticism from Congress and many tribal officials, as well as the lawyers representing the plaintiffs of the class action trust fund lawsuit.
But all in all, as convention delegates on Nov. 14 showed by their standing ovation for Gover, he made an impact on the operations of the BIA.
And after three years, Gover said there were about a millions things he wanted to do, but couldn’t get done.
He said he wanted to see more money for school operations. He said the tribal schools operate on a much smaller percent of funding than the public schools. He wanted to see more reform in the federal recognition process and would have liked to have done more about the land situation in California.
“It has not been a priority of the bureau and of Congress and we have not done right by them in terms of acquiring land.”
“We never had an impact on poverty in places like Pine Ridge and Standing Rock and we never did develop an economic development strategy.”
Before he leaves office, a new consultation policy will be in place, something the tribes in the Great Plains and others have advocated at length. But, it is still not without criticism from some of the tribes.
“Consultation is a funny thing. The more you offer the tribes the more they want, and that’s appropriate. What is unfair is to object to not having consulted, in circumstances where we did, but just didn’t reach the outcome they wanted.”
In the few weeks left, Gover said he wants to finish a few projects with two or three regulations “in the pipeline.” Trust fund regulations are among those he wishes to finish, along with finishing the consultation policy.
What will happen with a new administration and Congress?
“I don’t think the issues will change a lot. There is major underfunding and that’s not going to change. When they talk about tax cuts and saving for Social Security, that means there is less money and especially for Indians. Often when they talk about cuts, Indian country is the first to take a hit.
“I think all of this anti-gaming activity will not work and will be resolved. I think we should also take advantage of all this good will on Indian education and get something done there. We need a real increase in funding levels.”
Gover plans to enter private law practice when he retires from government service. He said he has some options, but would not elaborate.
As for his family, Anne Marie, his wife, said, “I feel good about getting him back, but I feel really good about the work he has done for Indian country.”
Three years ago, Gover was told he was taking the worst job in the federal government, that the job was not listed in the plum book of prized government positions, but in the prune book of jobs most avoided, he told NCAI convention delegates.
“I was told that taking this job was professional suicide, that the bureau was too far gone to be turned around, and that the Congress and the White House was to hostile to the Bureau, that there would be nothing but headaches and that it would be a matter of time before the problems would lead to personal and professional disaster.
“Those doomsayers were wrong. These three years have been the most rewarding professional experience of my life, not so much for what we have done, but for the people I have gotten to know and work with.
In the past eight years national power from American Indian tribes and organizations reached the national agenda and the public attention was heightened, Gover said. It meant more funding from Congress and support from the administration.
“When I began this job, it certainly was my intention to elevate our issues in the national consciousness, and we went to work immediately to increase public awareness.
“But we got some unexpected help from a very important person – the president of the United States. No matter how many hours we might work to shout to the world our stories and our issues, we cannot raise a voice as powerful as that of President Clinton.”
Gover took a critical moment during his speech to advise tribes not to fight against each other using the newfound political power. “If power itself ever becomes the objective, we rob our movement of any moral integrity.”
He said during the present Congress that some tribes tried to impose limitations on other tribes, which harms tribal sovereignty and tribal-government relations. Once, he said, it was the state and federal government in the position against the tribes.
“Greed is still greed, whether it is red or white. The irony of this is overwhelming. We make enemies of one another at the very moment that our unified effort could secure the future for all of us.”
Gover said any success over a long period is not surprising. He puts the success directly on the work done by the growing number of American Indian people in the bureau. “They are dedicated, they are talented, they are creative, they are tough, and they will never give up.
“So challenge them, debate with them, hold them responsible when they fail, but please, never question their motives or their commitment, because after all, they are your tribal members, your religious practitioners, your singers and dancers, your own people.”
Appearing as a person who had just won an Emmy, Gover listed the people to whom he was indebted for their service to the bureau and from people outside the bureau for their support over the last three years. The list read as a who’s who of government and tribal officials.
“One of the greatest privileges of this job is the opportunity to work with people far more talented than I on issues that affect the lives of Indian people.”
It was difficult, if not impossible, to work through the crowd after Gover’s speech to find someone who would offer criticism of his tenure in the BIA. As one person who wished to not be identified said, “He made some decisions that really made me mad. He made decisions that changed tribal councils and neglected to intervene when some others needed help. But, he did make a difference in the BIA.”
Gover said the worst part of the job was that it took him away from his family, wife Anne Marie, son Phillip and daughter Karita.
“Thank you for understanding, you have your husband and dad back now.
“Thank you (tribal leaders) for being in the arena. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for challenging us. Thank you for reminding us who we are and where we come from.
“Thank you for what you do each day to make the lives of Indian people better. May God find our cause worthy and bless our efforts with divine wisdom, faith, and love.”
