BIA chief to address Haskell graduates

“Famous” Dave Anderson, the nationally known barbecue restaurateur picked by President Bush to head the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, will address commencement ceremonies Friday at Haskell Indian Nations University.

“It is an honor for us to have him. He is a prominent leader in Indian affairs,” said Haskell spokeswoman Lori Tapahonso.

“But on a more personal note, his parents met at Haskell,” Tapahonso said. “He has strong family ties to Haskell, though this will be his first time on campus. It should be a nice visit.”

A member of the Chippewa and Choctaw tribes and an enrolled member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Lake Superior Band of Ojibwa, Anderson opened his first Famous Dave’s BBQ Shack in 1994 in Hayward, Wis. The company went public in 1996.

Anderson removed himself from the company’s board of directors upon the Senate confirming his BIA appointment on Dec. 9.

Haskell commencement ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. Friday at Coffin Sports Complex.

Afterward, Anderson will participate a 3 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony at the American Indian Records Repository at the National Archives and Records Administration’s underground storage facility in Lenexa.

Haskell is developing an archivist training program aimed at putting American Indians in charge of trust records between the federal government and 562 tribal governments.

The records are at the heart of an ongoing lawsuit — Corbell v. Norton — that accuses the federal government of mismanaging the trusts.

Last week, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., called for Anderson’s resignation after accusing him of being too close to the casino industry. Anderson co-founded a casino in Minnesota.

A congressional committee is investigating allegations that gambling interests have influenced the BIA’s processes for recognizing tribes.

Anderson on Friday said he would not resign.

At the BIA, Anderson oversees:

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  • 10,000 employees throughout the United States;
  • More than 60 million acres held in tribal trusts;
  • 185 elementary and secondary schools and 27 colleges, including Haskell Indian Nations University.

Friday, about 162 Haskell students are expected to receive 112 associate’s degrees and 50 four-year degrees.

“That’s the latest count,” Tapahonso said. “It could change between now and then.”