Pomo tribe member Larry Myers, who grew up on the Pinoleville Indian Rancherias near Clear Lake, California, was appointed executive secretary by Governor Deukmejian in 1987, and was the longest-serving executive of the commission until he left the post in September 2011.
His mother, Tillie Hardwick, was plaintive in a lawsuit that overturned the federal government’s termination of 17 California Indian Rancherias, including Pinoleville, and restored federal recognition to them.
Myers earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from San Jose State College and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Utah. He served as member of the U.S. Army in Vietnam.
As a member of the Native American Advisory Council to the Department of Forestry, Myers testified before the state legislature and assisted the Attorney General in repatriating the remains of Ishi, the last member of the Yana people.
After passage of the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) in 1990, Myers became a member of the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Committee to oversee and implement the act.
He provided training to many agencies, state, federal, academic, and tribal, as well as museums, in the implementation of the law. Myers also served on the Commemorative Seal Advisory Committee, a project he championed, which in 2002 placed a seal on the west steps of the capitol acknowledging the Native people of California and their contributions. He is a member of the Advisory Council for Curricular Development for the State Library and a Task Force member for the California Indian Heritage Center.
Larry Myers, Executive Secretary (
