We’re Still Here

October 2022. American flag, fabric, and thread.

John Echohawk

(August 12, 1945)

Pawnee Nation

“People need to know that we’re still here.” -John Echohawk, 2022

John Echohawk grew up in Farmington, New Mexico but moved to Oklahoma after receiving a scholarship for school. There, he was able to be closer to his tribe, the Pawnee, and eventually received another scholarship to the University of New Mexico. He was the first graduate of the school’s special program to train Indian Lawyers and was a founding member of the American Indian Law Students Association. After graduating, he worked for California Indian Legal Services and founded the Native American Rights fund in 1970 in Berkeley, California. Since 1977, he has served as NARF’s Executive Director and has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America by National Law Journal. Currently, he works at NARF’s headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, where he enjoys the beautiful Flatirons Mountains.

This sculpture was inspired by the Pawnee Nation seal (see above), which was designed by Brummett Echohawk, artist and Purple Heart recipient. Both the Pawnee seal and the American flag share the colors of red, white, and blue, though the star on the Pawnee seal is the Morning Star or where God lived according to the Skidi, a band of Pawnee people. While the flag envelopes the star, the star shines through, echoing the words of John Echohawk: “We’re a growing part of this country and people need to know [our history and our present].”