Founded in 1970, the Native American Rights Fund has served as a national advocacy group for 37 years and made great strides in the quest for equality.
The success of the Indian rights movement is in large part due to the dedication of its most ardent proponent, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF). NARF has served as the primary national advocacy group for the Native American community for close to 37 years. While other such organizations have served regional causes relative to specific tribes or have been limited to specific issues (land cessions, civil rights, reparations), NARF was established to serve the entire Native American community--from tribe down to the individual. Since its inception, NARF has been at the forefront of Native American legal advocacy. Using existing legal precedent and applying political pressure where necessary, NARF has successfully argued every Supreme Court case involving Native Americans since 1973.
The concept behind the creation of NARF was legal representation and assistance for Native Americans in every situation on a national level. In 1970, the California Indian Legal Services established the organization that would eventually grow into NARF as a pilot program for this specific purpose. Starting out with a small staff and three attorneys who volunteered their time, the project worked to establish itself as a cohesive organization dedicated to their task. In 1971, NARF relocated to Boulder, Colorado and incorporated itself as an independent non-profit organization with an all Indian board of directors. This board quickly developed a five-fold purpose for the organization; preservation of tribal existence, protection of tribal resources, promotion of equal rights, government accountability to Indian needs, and education of Native Americans as to their legal rights.
Since 1973, NARF has been governed by John Echohawk, a Pawnee attorney who has overseen the organization's growth and development. He has stood at the forefront of NARF's national efforts. He has tirelessly brought pressure on legislators in an effort to develop new laws (on both a state and federal level) providing for the protection of Native American lands and cultural heritage. While at the helm of NARF, Echohawk has overseen successful efforts to restore tribal lands, ensure the sovereignty of existing tribes, and even helped to strengthen the tribal court system. In 1996, NARF sued the Department of the Interior over the misappropriation of money held in trust for those Indians who had consented to the government's "allotment" policy. Incidentally, while NARF won the case, the government has yet to provide full recompense to the affected individuals. NARF has also been responsible for the restoration of sovereign rights to over half a dozen tribes who had long been denied recognition by the government.
While it has meet with its share of success and failure, NARF has served the Native American community with distinction and made great improvements in the lives of many. Never faltering in its mission, NARF continues to take on civil rights cases for the Native American community in the United States.
