Joint Statement of Ross O. Swimmer, Special Trustee for American Indians, and W. Patrick Ragsdale, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, on the Death in Iraq of Former Cherokee Nation Marshall Mike Dawes

“We wish to join Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith in expressing our grief and deepest sympathy to the Cherokee Nation people and to the Dawes family over the loss of Mike Dawes, a Cherokee citizen and lifetime law enforcement officer who died in service to his tribe and his country while endeavoring to bring peace in a country at war. As a Bureau of Indian Affairs-deputized law enforcement officer in the 1990s, he brought an esprit de corps and level of professionalism to the performance of his duties that set a standard for others. His contributions and sacrifice are in the highest tradition of upholding the principles for which the United States of America stands, and we are proud to have known him.”