Walter Lamar Appointed as Indian Arts and Crafts Board Commissioner

Walter Lamar Appointed as Indian Arts and Crafts Board Commissioner

WASHINGTON, DC:  The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Walter Lamar as an Indian Arts and Crafts Board Commissioner. 

Mr. Lamar is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana and a descendent of the Wichita Tribe of Oklahoma.  His storied law enforcement career, included 19 years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he served as a Special Agent/Supervisory Special Agent until 2000.  Upon his departure from the FBI, he was appointed U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Deputy Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Law Enforcement Services.  In 2001, Mr. Lamar was appointed DOI Senior Advisor to the Director-Office of Law Enforcement and Security to ensure protection of the Nation’s dams, monuments, and icons.  Upon his 2005 retirement, he founded Lamar Associates, a consulting firm he continues to manage that focuses on Indian Country safety and security.  In 2015, he served as a Senior Advisor to the Director Pentagon Force Protection Agency. 

Mr. Lamar has received numerous awards over the years, including two FBI Shields of Bravery, Anadarko American Indian Exposition American Indian of the Year in 1998, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Distinguished Alumni in 2008, and National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development American Indian Business Owner of the Year in 2012.  He also served on the Board of Directors for the Native Forward Scholars Fund, as well as the President of the Board of Directors for the National Native American Hall of Fame. 

The IACB looks forward to working with Commissioner Lamar, along with Chairperson Joyce Begay Foss (Diné), Vice Chairperson Marcus Monenerkit, Commissioner Jamie Okuma (La Jolla Band of Indians), and Commissioner Jordan Craig (Northern Cheyenne) to promote and protect authentic American Indian and Alaska Native artists and their creative work.

Contact:  IACB@ios.doi.gov