The Spring 2009 Civil Rights Forum will take place Friday, April 3rd and will feature Native American Rights Fund Executive Director, John Echohawk.  This Spring's Forum panel will be moderated by Horizonte's Jose Cardenas and will include Dr Peterson Zah, Dr Michael Niles, and Raul Yzaguirre.

The Forum will take place at 2:00PM (open seating begins at 1:30) at the downtown Phoenix ASU campus, 411 N Central Ave, in the main lobby.

A power in the Native American rights movement Echohawk has long been regarded as one of the foremost litigators in matters of tribal sovereignty and the safeguarding of natural resources and ancestral burial sites.  He was recognized as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America by the National Law Journal.  For more than three decades John Echohawk has spearheaded efforts to protect and advance the rights of Native Americans and has found ways to correct centuries-old injustices.

Short bios on the moderator and panel follow below.

Moderator:

Jose Cardenas was named Senior Vice President and General Counsel for ASU effective January 2009.  In addition to serving as chief legal officer of the University, he is responsible for management of ASU Audit & Advisory Services and serves as a University representative on and to the boards of directors of SAU affiliated and related entities such as the ASU Foundation, the Sun Angel Foundation, and the ASU Alumni Association.  Mr Cárdenas also advances and supports the public service and outreach mission of the University by participating in community organizations, representing the University in the business community and before local, regional, and state constituencies.  Mr Cárdenas received his BA from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 1974.  In 1977, he graduated from Stanford University Law School, wehre he served as an articles editor for the Stanford Law Review.  He joined Lewis and Roca in 1978, following a one-year federal district court clerkship.  After becoming partner in the firm in 1982, Cárdenas served in numerous management roles, including as teh firm's managing partner (CEO) from 1999 to 2003, at which point he was named the firm's first chairman.  Cárdenas has an AV ("Preeminent Attorney") rating from Maritndale-Hubbell.  He is listed in teh 2007 and 2008 editions of Southwest Super Lawyers in teh business litigation category, and in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, by Woodward/White, Aiken, S.C. in the category of commercial litigation.  In 1995, he was elected to membereship in the presitgious American Law Institute, and he is a member of The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation.  Cárdenas has also been recognized for his many community activiites including his selection in 2000 as the recipient of the Mexican government's Ohtli award given to U.S. residents of Mexican descent in recognition of their service to Mexican communities in the United States.  He has been admitted to practice law in Arizona, California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the US Supreme Court and is a member of various bar associations including the Hispanic National Bar Association.  He has been a member of Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association since 1978, having served for many years on its board of directors and as president from 1985-1988.

Panelists

Dr. Michael Niles (tribal name of Wakshe or Red Fox in English) is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma - on his father's side (Philip Niles - tribal name of Pkochuke' gigos or Buffalo Fish in English) - descended from the Fox clan) and has resided on many reservations throughout the United States.  As a result, his research has its foundation in the principle known to the Indigenous New Zealand Maori tribes as "Rangatiratanga."  This is translated to English as having respect and acknowledgement of tribal communities, their knowledge, their history and culture, and the interplay between them.  His research agenda explores how early childhood intervention (ECI) program models can be translated for use in Indigenous communities.  The overarching goal of his program of research is to contribute to the development of culturally appropriate, empirically validated interventions that reduce the adverse consequences of poverty and improve the life chances of Indigenous children.  Dr. Niles is a faculty member in the School of Social Work, Coordinator of the Indigenous Early Intervention Alliance, and Co-Director of the Office of American Indian Projects, all located at ASU.

Dr. Peterson Zah is Diné (Navajo) from Low Mountain, Arizona which is located on the Navajo Nation.  He's an alum of Phoenix Indian School, Phoenix College, and Arizona State University.  He has earned honorary doctoral degrees from numerous education institutions throughout the country.  Education has always been the center of Dr. Zah's work.  He's taught at Window Rock High School and served as school board president.  He is co-founder of DNA People's Legal Service, a legal aid organization working to protect civil rights and promote tribal sovereignty for people who live in poverty in the Southwestern united States.  He later became executive director from 1970-1982.  He was elected Chairman of the Navajo Tribal Council from 1983-1987.  In 1990, under a new tribal government organization, Dr. Zah was elected again - this time as President of the Navajo Nation and served a four-year term.  This makes Dr. Peterson Zah the last Tribal Chairman and the first elected president of the Navajo Nation.

Since 1995, Dr. Zah has served Arizona State University as Special Advisor to the President on American Indian Affairs, advocating for Tribal communities and students.  Focus is on the recruitment and retention of American Indian students and strengthening the University's relationship with Tribes.  He meets with students and families, presents guest lectures, and serves on several local and national foundations and boards.  His advocacy reaches to the federal, state, and tribal government levels as well as to various secotrs of hte business, legal, and healthcare communities.  Since 1995, the ASU Native American student population has increased from 672 to well over 1,400 along with student persistency and graduation rates from 43% to 78%.  Dr. Zah is considered one of the 100 most important Native Americans in the last century and a key leader in government and education.