Prof. Washburn quoted in Washington Post article about Dakota Access pipeline
December 12, 2016 - Tamara Williams
Regents Professor Kevin Washburn is a go-to person when national media report on tribal issues because of his service as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of Interior, the highest position in the federal government that focuses primarily on Indian Affairs.
Recently, reporter Juliet Eilperin interviewed Washburn for the Washington Post article, “In Dakota Access pipeline controversy, Obama’s ties to tribes played pivotal role.”
Eilperin quotes Washburn saying “that Obama changed the federal culture around tribal affairs during his eight years in office.”
She continues:
“There’s definitely a sense within the administration if you’re on the wrong side of tribes, you better be able to explain yourself,” said Washburn, now a professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law, “because the federal government’s been on the wrong side of tribes for 200 years, and it hasn’t been successful.”
