[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 60 (Thursday, April 23, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4666-S4668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING TIM WAPATO

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I wish to honor one of the most 
dedicated advocates for American Indian tribes in my State of South 
Dakota and throughout the United States. On Sunday, April 19, 2009, Tim 
Wapato was called home. Tim has long served many issues important to 
Indian Country throughout his life and I have included his obituary 
below and ask that it be printed in the Record. An enrolled member of 
the Colville Confederated Tribe in Eastern Washington, he made his home 
in Rapid City, SD. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, 
including his wife, my friend, Gay Kingman-Wapato, and their family. He 
will be greatly missed by everyone he touched on his journey through 
this world.
  The information follows:
  Sherman Timothy Wapato, 73, entered the Spirit World at his home in 
Rapid City, SD on Sunday, April 19, 2009 as a 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, WA, 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, California 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.

[[Page S4667]]

  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, New Mexico, 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 wild life 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 $34,000,000.00 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 also 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, lobbyists, 
and Indian Tribes to realize success with Congress and the 
Administration. Under his leadership, this coalition was effective in 
stopping attempts to pass harmful legislation in Congress; and 
strategies and recommendations were developed to support amendments 
beneficial to Tribes.
  The national press called upon Tim often; again his quick wit and 
humor gained him enduring relationships with the media. In April 1994, 
NIGA won the coveted National AWARD FOR ``Creativity in Public 
Relations'' in New York City for the campaign/strategy implemented to 
educate the Public on Indian Gaming.
  Besides the coordinated Communication effort, two major programs were 
developed under Tim's NIGA leadership to assist Tribes:
  The ITN or Integrated Tribal Network, an electronic communication 
system, and the Institute for Tribal Government, an educational 
department within NIGA to offer courses and workshops to train and 
educate Tribes, States and staff of Casinos on a wide range of topics. 
In 1998, Tim first resigned from NIGA, wanting to make an attempt at a 
third retirement, but his resignation was not accepted by the Board. 
Later, Tim resigned again but remained faithfully committed to Indian 
Tribes but relocated to Rapid City, SD, so that he and Gay could be 
near family and take care of Gay's father, Gus Kingman, who lived to be 
104 years old.
  In his fourth retirement, Tim served as the Executive Director of the 
Inter-Tribal Bison Cooperative in Rapid City until he experienced a 
stroke in August of 2000.
  Tim and Gay formed Kingman/Wapato & Associates, an Indian owned 
consulting, lobbying and technical assistance firm. Soon thereafter, 
the Great Plains Tribes asked them to help organize the Great Plains 
Tribal Chairman's Association where Gay continues to work as Executive 
Director.
  Tim never let his health challenges hold him back; right up until his 
death, he continued to give speeches, expert advice and served on 
several national boards, including the National Center for American 
Indian Enterprise Development and the Institute for Tribal Government, 
Portland State University. He remained active in NIGA, National 
Congress of American Indians, Veterans Affairs, legislation politics,

[[Page S4668]]

and was a mentor to many young people as they continued the battles for 
Indian Tribes.
  Tim was highly respected throughout the United States and touched 
many lives. He received many honors and was known for his brilliant 
mind, his wise advice, his humor, his vision, his capabilities, his 
ability to provide leadership in crisis and his strength of will. 
Though a tireless leader, he always made time and always had a kind 
word for his family and his extended family, of which he has legion. In 
his life's work, Tim had a skill for cutting through to the core issue, 
no matter how complex, then inspiring those around him to join hands to 
either take care of a problem or take advantage of an opportunity. It 
would be inadequate to label Tim simply as a visionary, because he 
himself would correct such a label and point out that together, we did 
not all just see or talk, rather we all made real things happen and 
stood our shared ground. That is Tim's truly unique legacy, providing 
guideposts to those who stand proudly in Tim's wake by having 
experienced a man--never daunted, habitually principled, strategically 
defiant, possessing great perspective yet a healthy appreciation for 
satire, and always hopeful.
  Tim was preceded in death by his parents, Reverend Paul Wapato (1955) 
and Elizabeth Wapato (1994), his Sister, Esther KeAna Wapato (1965) and 
Phillip Francis Wapato (1961)
  S. Timothy Wapato is survived by his wife, Gay Kingman, of Rapid 
City, SD; son Stephen Timothy Wapato (Megan), Wenatchee, WA and 
daughters KeAna Wapato Conrad and Theresa Wapato Borgia of Southern 
California; son Charles Robertson (Kathy), Vernon Robertson (Corina); 
and brothers Paul G. Wapato Jr. (Ruth), Spokane, WA, Titus R. Wapato, 
Santa Monica, CA, and James W. Wapato, Bouse, AZ. Together, Tim and Gay 
have 20 Grandchildren and 4 Great Grandchildren with one on the way. 
Over the years, Tim & Gay have mentored numerous young people and have 
a vast extended family who love and respect them.

                          ____________________