Thomas Henry Dodge (1899–1987) was a Native American lawyer and Navajo leader.

Biography

Dodge was the son of

Henry Chee Dodge Henry Chee Dodge (1860–1947), also known in Navajo by his nicknames ("Mister Interpreter") and ("Red Boy"), was the last official Head Chief of the Navajo Tribe from 1884 until 1910, the first Tribal Chairman of the Navajo Business Council fr ...

and half-brother of

Annie Dodge Wauneka Annie Dodge Wauneka (April 11, 1910 – November 10, 1997) was an influential member of the Navajo Nation as member of the Navajo Nation Council. As a member and three term head of the council's Health and Welfare Committee, she worked to improve ...

. He earned a law degree from St. Louis University Law School after which he took up a private practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was elected to the

Navajo Tribal Council The Navajo Nation Council ( nv, Béésh bąąh dah siʼání) is the legislative branch of the Navajo Nation government. The council meets four times per year, with additional special sessions, at the Navajo Nation Council Chamber, which is in Wi ...

in 1933 and served as the chairman of the Council between 1933 and 1936. He presided over the council during introduction of the

Navajo Livestock Reduction The Navajo Livestock Reduction was imposed by the United States government upon the Navajo Nation in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. The reduction of herds was justified at the time by stating that grazing areas were becoming eroded and ...

. Dodge respected the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, John Collier, who was recognized as a strong advocate for Native Americans. In 1933, in advance of initiating the program, the Tribal Council met to discuss the plan. Dodge introduced Collier to the Tribal Council as "the 'Plumed Knight' of the Indian cause". The program was widely opposed by the Navajo people who depended on their livestock for a livelihood. The Navajo also measured their wealth by the size of their herds. In 1935 Dodge was appointed assistant superintendent of the Navajo Agency, a division of the

Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and A ...

(BIA). This put him in a position between representing the people of the Navajo Nation who opposed the program and the BIA which initiated it. In May, 1936, he resigned his position as chairman of the council to work exclusively for the BIA. He spent the rest of his life working in various positions for the BIA. In 1965, he was awarded a Distinguished Service Award of the Department of the Interior for his accomplishments during his career with the BIA.

Legacy

Dodge became the first Diné attorney, graduating from the law school at St. Louis University, a private

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

college in Missouri. After passing the New Mexico bar examination, Dodge worked for eight years at a law firm in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodge, Thomas 1899 births 1987 deaths 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century Native Americans Chairmen of the Navajo Tribe Native American lawyers Saint Louis University School of Law alumni