From The Buffalo News:
Heritage held fast by legal scholar
LOCKPORT—Joshua Clause, 2001 Niagara Falls High School graduate, has been elected president of the National Native American Law Student Association.
You may have seen Clause in his earlier days, earning money for college as a gas-pump attendant at Randy’s Smoke Shop on the rural Tuscarora Reservation in Lewiston. A Mohawk Indian, he earned his degree from Dartmouth College in 2005.
But Clause, enrolled at Six Nations Reserve, didn’t forget his Indian heritage. He’ll earn his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School next year, and says he’d like to return to the Niagara Frontier: “home—to be close to my family and focus my work supporting my people, the Haudenosaunee.”
The Iroquois Confederacy, or “People of the Longhouse”—Mohawk, Tuscarora, Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida and Onondaga— presided over more than one-fifth of this continent’s land mass before Columbus arrived.
Scholars have maintained that the Iroquois Confederacy, which remains one of the oldest political bodies in North America, served as a model for the U. S. Constitution.
“I hope to be a part of positive change in Indian country,” said Clause, son of Norman and Theresa Clause. His mom is a special-education teacher for Orleans- Niagara BOCES, and his dad is a construction worker in the Bricklayers Union. He’s the oldest of four children; his three younger siblings are Charlotte, Kenny and Adam.
Joshua Clause attended elementary school at Sacred Heart in Niagara Falls, and played hockey, serving as the co-captain of Niagara Falls High’s team. During all four years as a college undergraduate, he was the chairman of the Dartmouth College Powwow, the largest student-run
Powwow in the Northeast. During his senior year, he won the Dartmouth College Student Assembly’s Leadership Award for his commitment to issues of diversity on campus.
Following graduation, he came back to Niagara Falls hoping to find employment close to his family, but like many young graduates, was unable to find work in the Buffalo area. Leading up to his entrance to law school, he went to Washington,
D. C., where he took a job working as a consultant.
Clause is currently finishing his second year at law school. He also serves as an associate editor for the Michigan Journal of Race&Law, and still finds time to play on the law school club hockey team. Last summer, he worked as a law clerk in the office of the general counsel for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians in Petoskey, Mich. After this semester, he’ll work as a summer associate for the Patton Boggs law firm in Washington.
Why Dartmouth? I was a double major in Native American studies and geography. I chose Dartmouth primarily because of the strong Native American student community and academic program.
Dartmouth was originally founded to educate Native Americans. But shortly after its founding, the school moved away from that mission. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the school reaffirmed that mission, when the Dartmouth president began an initiative to educate Native American students.
Tell us about working at a smoke shop?
I really enjoyed working at Randy’s Smoke Shop. Of course it was hard work, especially on those hot summer days, and it certainly gets cold out there in the winter. But the people I worked with were awesome, and I got to meet a lot of different folks who were customers. Also, the Chrysler family— owner of Randy’s—was great to me. While I was in high school, they always accommodated my work schedule so I could play hockey, study, and participate in all the other activities that are important in high school. During college, when I came home on break, they’d always have a spot open for me to earn some much-needed cash.
After graduation, when I couldn’t find a job, they were there again with a position for me. I always appreciated their support. I read about the uproar over “Indian smoke shops” all the time, but I don’t think people understand the situation. There aren’t a lot of economic opportunities on the reservation, and poverty is a reality. Tribal gas stations provide some of the few jobs available on the reservation, and a lot of families earn their livelihoods from these jobs. These operations employ not just Native Americans, but many non-Natives as well.
Any prevalent misconceptions about Native Americans?
Many people think that we all have casinos and are rich, when in reality, 25 percent of Native American households survive below the poverty level. In order to change this alarming statistic, we need to train more Native American professionals such as doctors, teachers and attorneys. We need to keep investing in our communities with the goal of becoming more economically independent.
Where did you get your inspiration?
I’ve been blessed with a supportive family. When I was young, my parents instilled in me the value of hard work and determination. Nothing in life comes easy, but if you put the requisite effort into it, and are not afraid to fail, you can achieve a lot. My parents have always stressed the importance of education. Growing up, the conversation was never “ if you go to college,” it was “ when you go to college.” Also, all of my grandparents have contributed uniquely to help make me the person I am today.
Why Indian law?
As a Haudenosaunee, issues of federal Indian law affect me at a very personal level. The Haudenosaunee are a sovereign people, we have treaty relations with, not just the United States, but also with Great Britain, France and several other European nations. As a Haudenosaunee attorney, I will fight to uphold the treaty rights, of not just my people, but all native peoples in the United States. Unfortunately, many times these rights are trampled upon by the federal and state governments. The history of the United States’ relations with Native Americans is fraught with inconsistency and often deceit. My favorite quote is from Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black from his dissent in Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation. Justice Black said, “Great Nations, like great men, should keep their word.” I hope to do my part to remedy the inconsistencies in Indian law, and make sure that the government keeps its word to my people.
What are your goals as National Native American Law Student Association president?
Native Americans are the most underrepresented group in higher education. As president of NNALSA, I plan to increase our efforts to encourage Native American students to attend law school, while continuing to improve our Native student retention rates. The major obstacle to our organization this year will be the economy. Fundraising is always a challenge, but with the economic downturn, it’ll be even more difficult to raise the necessary funding to support our National Moot Court Competition, National Writing Competition, and the several other events we’re responsible for each year. Of course, because of the state of the economy, NNALSA will have to commit considerable resources to helping our graduating members find gainful employment.
And your own career goals?
When I graduate next year I plan to take the New York State Bar exam, and then continue my work within the field of Indian law.
Turtle Talk 