2006 Awards

Awards from the Native American Law Section

2006 Awards

Awards from the Native American Law Section

Helen L. Harris, Lifetime Achievement Award

Helen L. Harris, Oklahoma Choctaw, is a retired College Professor living in her hometown of Hugo, Oklahoma. She received her Ph.D in English in 1973 from Florida State University, where she first became involved in intertribal matters and national issues concerning Indian sovereignty and identity. Dr. Harris taught at Florida StateUniversity, Paul Quinn College, Baylor University, and McLennan Community College. Dr. Harris designed and taught courses at Baylor in contemporary Native American literature, promoted and taught the study of Indian literature at other universities, and served as a sponsor of the Baylor Native American Student Organization.

After her retirement, while still living in Waco, Texas, she commuted to Austin to work on graves protection legislation and regularly monitored pertinent legislation on the federal and state level for the Texas Indian Bar Association and the American Indian Resource and Education Coalition. She has spoken at various events including national forums on graves legislation and Indian education, and has published articles on these issues. Dr. Harris’ concern about repatriation and graves protection was motivated by her concern that Texas should pass graves protection legislation for unmarked graves in the state and stop tolerating the desecration of graves of Native peoples. Her concern was quite personal. Her elder brother – who died as an infant – was buried in a grave that was robbed in the 1930s, and his body and grave items apparently stolen by grave robbers. Her infant grandmother and great-grandparents were part of the last forced removal of Choctaws from Mississippi and some of her ancestors’ graves lie unmarked along the way. Dr. Harris predicted that Texas would never pass graves protection for unmarked Indian burials during her lifetime. To date, Texas has not passed such legislation.

Dr. Harris was honored for her work on repatriation legislation and Indian education by the American Indian Resource and Education Coalition in October of 1995. The Native American Student Association of Baylor University honored her for her contributions at a special Pow-Wow on March 25, 1995. Dr. Harris remains active in tribal affairs in Oklahoma, working with a Choctaw women’s group and serving as a reviewer for Indian books and publications for the American Indian Library Association. She recently contributed stories of her family to a pending publication on Choctaw history and lore.

Although her parents were involved in Choctaw tribal government and her father was a Native speaker, Dr. Harris’ parents chose to NOT teach her the Choctaw language. Having been raised in Indian boarding schools, her parents understood the penalties of speaking a Native language at school. However, Dr. Harris has always wanted to learn her own language, so she began taking Choctaw language classes in her late 60s, believing that it is never too late for Indians to learn their own language and to learn about their culture.

Dr. Harris is married to Dr. Edward Harris, her husband of nearly 60 years, her high school sweetheart, and her biggest supporter. They have four children: Dr. Victoria Gayle Harris, a physician who has worked with the VA and Indian Health Services, is a past director of the Cherokee Indian Hospital in Tahlequah, and who has testified before Congress on Indian health issues; Dr. Rhonda Harris Taylor, associate professor at the University of Oklahoma who is also a prolific author and speaker on issues including repatriation and using information systems for Indian legal research, and who also serves as a consultant for Indian nations in setting up tribal libraries; Ruth Harris Soucy, manager and attorney with the Texas Comptroller and past chair of the American Indian Law Section; and Edward J. Harris, a program and project manager for a litigation support firm in Austin, Texas. Dr. Harris has seven grandchildren, ranging in age from three to 30, who have all been involved in Native organizations. Helen Harris was the first person in her family to attend college, and her example has motivated her children and grandchildren to further their education

 

Helen L. Harris
Lifetime Achievement Award

Helen L. Harris, Oklahoma Choctaw, is a retired College Professor living in her hometown of Hugo, Oklahoma. She received her Ph.D in English in 1973 from Florida State University, where she first became involved in intertribal matters and national issues concerning Indian sovereignty and identity. Dr. Harris taught at Florida StateUniversity, Paul Quinn College, Baylor University, and McLennan Community College. Dr. Harris designed and taught courses at Baylor in contemporary Native American literature, promoted and taught the study of Indian literature at other universities, and served as a sponsor of the Baylor Native American Student Organization.

After her retirement, while still living in Waco, Texas, she commuted to Austin to work on graves protection legislation and regularly monitored pertinent legislation on the federal and state level for the Texas Indian Bar Association and the American Indian Resource and Education Coalition. She has spoken at various events including national forums on graves legislation and Indian education, and has published articles on these issues. Dr. Harris’ concern about repatriation and graves protection was motivated by her concern that Texas should pass graves protection legislation for unmarked graves in the state and stop tolerating the desecration of graves of Native peoples. Her concern was quite personal. Her elder brother – who died as an infant – was buried in a grave that was robbed in the 1930s, and his body and grave items apparently stolen by grave robbers. Her infant grandmother and great-grandparents were part of the last forced removal of Choctaws from Mississippi and some of her ancestors’ graves lie unmarked along the way. Dr. Harris predicted that Texas would never pass graves protection for unmarked Indian burials during her lifetime. To date, Texas has not passed such legislation.

Dr. Harris was honored for her work on repatriation legislation and Indian education by the American Indian Resource and Education Coalition in October of 1995. The Native American Student Association of Baylor University honored her for her contributions at a special Pow-Wow on March 25, 1995. Dr. Harris remains active in tribal affairs in Oklahoma, working with a Choctaw women’s group and serving as a reviewer for Indian books and publications for the American Indian Library Association. She recently contributed stories of her family to a pending publication on Choctaw history and lore.

Although her parents were involved in Choctaw tribal government and her father was a Native speaker, Dr. Harris’ parents chose to NOT teach her the Choctaw language. Having been raised in Indian boarding schools, her parents understood the penalties of speaking a Native language at school. However, Dr. Harris has always wanted to learn her own language, so she began taking Choctaw language classes in her late 60s, believing that it is never too late for Indians to learn their own language and to learn about their culture.

Dr. Harris is married to Dr. Edward Harris, her husband of nearly 60 years, her high school sweetheart, and her biggest supporter. They have four children: Dr. Victoria Gayle Harris, a physician who has worked with the VA and Indian Health Services, is a past director of the Cherokee Indian Hospital in Tahlequah, and who has testified before Congress on Indian health issues; Dr. Rhonda Harris Taylor, associate professor at the University of Oklahoma who is also a prolific author and speaker on issues including repatriation and using information systems for Indian legal research, and who also serves as a consultant for Indian nations in setting up tribal libraries; Ruth Harris Soucy, manager and attorney with the Texas Comptroller and past chair of the American Indian Law Section; and Edward J. Harris, a program and project manager for a litigation support firm in Austin, Texas. Dr. Harris has seven grandchildren, ranging in age from three to 30, who have all been involved in Native organizations. Helen Harris was the first person in her family to attend college, and her example has motivated her children and grandchildren to further their education

 

Ruth H. Soucy, Tom Diamond Award

Ruth H. Soucy, Oklahoma Choctaw, was one of the founding members of the Native American Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and served as the first Section Chair in 1994. Ruth was also one of the earliest members of the former Texas Indian Bar Association. For over a decade, she has been a driving force behind the Section. She has been instrumental in the development of the Section’s annual CLE event, bringing in speakers from around the country to advocate the common professional interest of Native American lawyers and to promote Native American issues. Ruth also participates in the Annual Sovereignty Symposium on legal issues, sponsored by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission, Sovereignty Symposium, Inc., the University of Oklahoma School of Law, and others.

Born in Louisiana, Ruth grew up in East Texas and Florida. After spending time as a stay-at-home mom, Ruth earned a journalism degree from Baylor University and spent four years as a reporter for the Waco Tribune Herald. After leaving the newspaper, she earned a Baylor law degree in 1990 and spent a year in private practice before entering state government. She worked for the Texas Ethics Commission for nearly two years and the Attorney General’s Office for six years before joining the Texas Comptroller’s Office in 1999.

She co-authored the article “Bridging the Gap: A Perspective From Two Generations” with her mother, Helen Harris, which was published in the Texas Forum on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights in 1998.

Ruth is the Manager and Legal Counsel for the Open Records Division of the Texas Comptroller’s Office. In this role, Ruth strives to achieve transparency and efficiency in government. Additionally, she ensures compliance with state and federal access laws and seeks input from both internal and external customers to deliver the best possible service. During her tenure of almost 7 years, Ruth created new programs, developed innovative training (both internal and external) related to the Public Information Act, open records, and ethics, and served as a mentor and a positive role model.

As the agency’s Public Information Coordinator, Ruth is responsible for all written requests for information processed by the agency. During calendar year 2005, the agency received over 500,000 written requests for information, including approximately 10,000 received and processed by the Open Records Division. In addition, she refers requests to the Attorney General for rulings when information should not be disclosed to the public.

Ruth was among the first 10 graduates of the Comptroller’s Leadership Program for Managers in November 2001. From 2000 to 2003, Ruth served as the General Counsel’s primary contact for ethics matters. In this role, Ruth helped shape the agency’s ethics policies and helped set the agency on the road toward becoming a recognized leader among state agencies for its ethics program. In December 2003, Ruth completed the University of Texas Ethical Leadership Workshop as part of her strong commitment to ethics in government.

Ruth serves as the Comptroller’s designated representative on the statewide Open Records Steering Committee, which is made up of representatives from state and local agencies, as well as members of the public. The committee works on legislative issues and makes recommendations to establish state policy on open government matters. Ruth also serves on the prestigious Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas Advisory Council to help restructure the program to better meet the needs of state agencies. Additionally, Ruth was among the first graduates of the Council’s “First Amendment Institute Leadership Program” in September 2000.

 

Ruth H. Soucy, Tom Diamond Award

Ruth H. Soucy, Oklahoma Choctaw, was one of the founding members of the Native American Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and served as the first Section Chair in 1994. Ruth was also one of the earliest members of the former Texas Indian Bar Association. For over a decade, she has been a driving force behind the Section. She has been instrumental in the development of the Section’s annual CLE event, bringing in speakers from around the country to advocate the common professional interest of Native American lawyers and to promote Native American issues. Ruth also participates in the Annual Sovereignty Symposium on legal issues, sponsored by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission, Sovereignty Symposium, Inc., the University of Oklahoma School of Law, and others.

Born in Louisiana, Ruth grew up in East Texas and Florida. After spending time as a stay-at-home mom, Ruth earned a journalism degree from Baylor University and spent four years as a reporter for the Waco Tribune Herald. After leaving the newspaper, she earned a Baylor law degree in 1990 and spent a year in private practice before entering state government. She worked for the Texas Ethics Commission for nearly two years and the Attorney General’s Office for six years before joining the Texas Comptroller’s Office in 1999.

She co-authored the article “Bridging the Gap: A Perspective From Two Generations” with her mother, Helen Harris, which was published in the Texas Forum on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights in 1998.

Ruth is the Manager and Legal Counsel for the Open Records Division of the Texas Comptroller’s Office. In this role, Ruth strives to achieve transparency and efficiency in government. Additionally, she ensures compliance with state and federal access laws and seeks input from both internal and external customers to deliver the best possible service. During her tenure of almost 7 years, Ruth created new programs, developed innovative training (both internal and external) related to the Public Information Act, open records, and ethics, and served as a mentor and a positive role model.

As the agency’s Public Information Coordinator, Ruth is responsible for all written requests for information processed by the agency. During calendar year 2005, the agency received over 500,000 written requests for information, including approximately 10,000 received and processed by the Open Records Division. In addition, she refers requests to the Attorney General for rulings when information should not be disclosed to the public.

Ruth was among the first 10 graduates of the Comptroller’s Leadership Program for Managers in November 2001. From 2000 to 2003, Ruth served as the General Counsel’s primary contact for ethics matters. In this role, Ruth helped shape the agency’s ethics policies and helped set the agency on the road toward becoming a recognized leader among state agencies for its ethics program. In December 2003, Ruth completed the University of Texas Ethical Leadership Workshop as part of her strong commitment to ethics in government.

Ruth serves as the Comptroller’s designated representative on the statewide Open Records Steering Committee, which is made up of representatives from state and local agencies, as well as members of the public. The committee works on legislative issues and makes recommendations to establish state policy on open government matters. Ruth also serves on the prestigious Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas Advisory Council to help restructure the program to better meet the needs of state agencies. Additionally, Ruth was among the first graduates of the Council’s “First Amendment Institute Leadership Program” in September 2000.

 

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