Spotlight on Success in Indian Country: Travis Lovett

by Lindsay Sutherland

for the Indigenous Times Newspaper

From Georgia to the plains of Saskatchewan, Travis Lovett, better known as “Thunder” across the Pow Wow circuit, has swept many championship titles in the Men’s Fancy category.  Travis Lovett started dancing late at the age of 17, but did not waste any time in becoming world known.  Just a year after starting to dance and his very first pow wow competing in the men’s division, Travis placed second at the Gathering of Nations.  As if that wasn’t enough, Travis two years later won his title as “World Champion” by clenching first place at the Schemitzun World Championship Pow Wow and has remained a top competitor traveling across Indian Country ever since.  However, Travis’ accomplishments extend far and beyond the dance arena.

Out of high school, Travis received a full-ride wrestling and academic scholarship to the University of the Cumberlands where he went on to compete at the National Wrestling tournament and became an Academic All-American wrestler.  Aside from dominating the wrestling mat, Travis was also placed on the Dean’s list every semester and graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Biology.

Now, Travis is currently attending Law School at Arizona State University.  ASU Law has a strong reputation for holding the best Indian Legal Program in the world.  Travis said, “ASU Law is great at offering opportunities and placing Natives in positions that allow them to achieve whatever goals they desire.”  Travis went on to explain that the faculty and students are exceptionally great and that he felt as if they were his family away from home.  Travis entered ASU Law on a Dean’s Recruitment Scholarship and since, has been awarded the Kevin Kane Memorial Book Scholarship and the Arizona Native American Bar Association Scholarship.  Also, Travis is active in the Native American Law School Association by serving as liaison to the Arizona Native American Bar Association.

Recently, Travis was awarded the Native American Udall Internship, which only selects 12 highly achieved Native Americans and First Nations to work in a congressional agency for ten weeks in Washington D.C.  Travis has been selected to work for the Senate Committee of Indian Affairs where his daily duties will likely entail attending meetings and writing memorandums on the Nation’s top issues that are affecting Indian Country today.  Travis commented, “I am really honored to receive such an opportunity and I am eager to meet other Natives that share my passion for Native advocacy.”  This highly sought after position is determined by a selection committee that is composed of Native tribal leaders and educators.  The committee selects their interns based upon each applicant’s academic credentials, writing capability, and their interest in learning how the Federal Government operates.  When describing the application process, Travis explained that all applicants are to write an essay on a legislative act or tribal public policy and relate that issue to their own career goals or personal life.  Travis commented, “I wrote about the Indian Child Welfare Act because it is vital that Indian children grow up learning their heritage and culture; for this is the only way to truly keep the Native race alive and growing.”  The Indian Child Welfare Act was enacted in 1978 to combat children being removed from their Indian communities and placed in non-Indian homes.

Overall, Travis is extremely excited to learn what steps the Federal Government is taking to improve Indian Country and what avenues he can take to achieve his career goals.  After law school Travis plans to start his own Native American consulting project to help tribe’s in improving their communities through economic development, education, and healthcare. Travis believes proper management over these areas is essential to a tribe’s prosperity and growth.  For many reservations, there has been an unfortunate snowball effect of unemployment and poor education that leads to increased crime and poverty.  Travis said, “Healthcare, education, and economic development strongly intertwine and improvements in one area will likely facilitate the improvement in another and combat this unfortunate snowball effect.”  Traivs is also knowledgeable of issues that are affecting the First Nations of Canada.  Travis stated, “Right now in Canada tribes are faced with a very important decision, SELF – GOVERNMENT.” Travis went on to explain, “This decision will be different for every tribe and it is critical that they have assistance from someone that understands native communities and how this transition can affect their community.”  Travis says, “This is where I hope to come in and hopefully before it is too late.  I hope to build a consulting team with Native lawyers who have experience and understand the needs for Indian communities.”  Travis clarified, that his job will not be to tell tribes what to do.  Instead, Travis will educate tribal communities and offer guidance to ensure that they really know what self-government entails.  As with every decision, there are pros and cons and it is no secret that every Reserve is now facing this critical and life-changing decision. •