Sherman Timothy Wapato

RAPID CITY - Sherman Timothy Wapato, 73, entered the Spirit World Sunday, April 19, 2009, at his home in Rapid City as the result of heart failure. He was an enrolled Member of the Colville Confederated Tribe in Eastern Washington. Sherman Timothy Wapato was the second child of six children born to Paul and Elizabeth Wapato. During Tim's early years of schooling, the Family moved frequently, as Paul Wapato was an Evangelist Minister. Tim went to nine different elementary schools prior to settling down in the Methow Valley (Washington) for Jr. High and High School. The "Wapato Boys" were the only Indians attending Winthrop H.S. and were admired for their abilities in school and in sports. Tim graduated High School in 1953 in Winthrop, where he excelled in sports and government. Tim was a popular student and was well known for his basketball prowess, good humor and leadership abilities. He was Class President as well as Homecoming King. Tim then attended Washington State University and California State University at Los Angeles, Majoring in Political Science, Public Administration and Police Administration. In 1955, Tim enlisted in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1957, where he was in Communications and played basketball for the Army. Tim moved to Los Angeles in 1958, where he joined the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). With his quick-wit, coupled with passing a series of LAPD exams and obvious leadership abilities, at the young age of 34, Tim quickly rose to the rank of Lieutenant, LAPD. Tim was the youngest to achieve that rank at that age and at that time. Older Officers learned to "Trust" his Leadership and follow his supervision. He supervised up to 188 Officers depending upon the assignment and circumstances. As a LAPD Lieutenant of Police, Tim served as Officer-in-Charge of Detective Special Investigative Teams handling homicide, robbery and narcotics; Sex Crimes; Vice-Unit Investigations; Equal Opportunity and Development, and the Affirmative Action Unit/Discrimination Complaint Unit. Tim also served as Patrol Division Watch Commander, Patrol Division Supervisor, and an Instructor at the Academy on robbery and homicide investigations, police-community relations and American Indian Culture awareness. He was a frequent Instructor at the Indian Police Academy at Roswell, NM, training Officers to work on Indian Reservations. While Officer-In-Charge he was responsible for assessing the legal implications of each investigation, assignment of investigative personnel, and analysis, evaluation of status and crime trends and recommendations for strategic planning to address issues and programmatic concerns. In 1972 and 1973, through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act, the LAPD loaned S. Timothy Wapato to the Colville Confederated Tribe for a Special Assignment to plan and design a Tribal Police Department and a Tribal Court. Tim completed the design for the Department with a fish and wildlife enforcement section, fish and wildlife biology section, court system, and public highway safety program. During the 21 years Tim served with the LAPD, Tim volunteered his off-duty time to work for the City of Los Angeles (LA) including the following: Chairman of the Los Angeles City-County Native American Commission, Member of the Council for Peace and Equality in Education, Member of the Board for the LA Indian Center, President, United American Indian Council, and President, American Indian Welcome House. Sherman Timothy Wapato retired from the LAPD in 1979, after 21 years of service to the City of Los Angeles and after receiving numerous commendations for his work. After retirement, Tim immediately took a post with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), where he worked for 10 years (1979-1989). Initially, Tim was the Director of Fisheries Protection and Enforcement. In 1980 Tim was appointed by the Board of Directors to Executive Director of the Commission. He executed and administered grants and contracts, supervised over 65 legal, technical and administrative employees and was responsible for administering a $5.5 million annual budget. He directed the analysis, evaluation, formulation and implementation of policy, judicial and legislative initiatives, developed cooperative working agreements with international, national, federal state, and regional parties for the benefit of Tribal and intertribal interests in the areas of water rights, regulation and enforcement, treaty rights, hydropower fishing rights and resource management. While Tim was at CRITFC, he was appointed by President Reagan in 1986 to serve on the U.S. Pacific Salmon Commission. President Reagan re-appointed Tim to negotiate the Treaty between Canada and the United States to serve a second term in 1988. As a Commissioner, Tim reported to U.S. Secretary of State and was responsible for implementing the International Treaty provisions between the U.S. and Canada. His peers elected Tim to be the Chairman of the International Treaty Council (the full Commission comprised of Canadian and U.S. Commissioners) with the responsibility of U.S. Chief Negotiator in the annual negotiations on the Treaty with Canada. The result was the Pacific Salmon Treaty between the U.S. and Canada which acknowledged Tribes as sovereigns and equal co-managers. In 1989, Tim accepted a Senior Executive Service Political Appointment and became the Commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Tim led ANA from 1989-1993. As Commissioner for ANA, Tim was responsible for formulating and administering a $34,000,000 budget to provide grants, contracts, technical assistance and training, interagency agreements and activities beneficial to ANA clients. He served as the principal advisor to the Sec. Of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Native American Affairs, including Native Hawaiians, Samoans and other Pacific Islanders. Tim provided testimony before Congress, delivered keynote speeches at national, regional, tribal, federal and state meetings and worked on the Reauthorization of the ANA Legislation within the Federal Govt. with Congress and with key Indian organizations. Tim saw the need for improved coordination for Indian Tribes and helped establish the Inter-Agency Council, which served as liaison and coordination within HHS and among federal agencies to ensure effective integration of programs and policies affecting Native Americans. While ANA Commissioner, Tim was appointed to membership in the Senior Executive Service Advisory Board, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and to the Native American Veterans Coordinating Council with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Upon leaving Government Service in 1993, the Tribal Nations asked S. Timothy Wapato and his wife, A. Gay Kingman to develop and establish a National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) Office in Washington, DC. Tim and Gay founded NIGA and through hard work and long hours developed NIGA into a powerful national organization for Indian Tribes. NIGA's DC office roots began in their home, discussions held frequently around the kitchen table, but the success of their work on the organization quickly expanded to increasingly larger offices on Capitol Hill. In 1995, the NIGA was the first Indian Organization ever to purchase and own property on Capitol Hill. As Executive Director and chief management officer of NIGA, Tim provided overall leadership, direction and guidance to Indian Tribal Nations. He supervised employees, managed and guided all NIGA projects, developed and implemented operating policies and procedures for investment funds, and public relations, including working with Congress. Namely, Tim developed and directed a strategy for a coordinated effort among public relations staff, attorneys, lobbyist, and Indian Tribes to realize success with Congress and the Administration. Under his leade