Richard Armstrong
Tribal Council Member

For Richard Marvin Armstrong, his election and swearing to the Tribal Council on January 2, 2007 was sort of a homecoming.

After a 30-year career in federal law enforcement that has taken him throughout Indian Country and the continental United States, Armstrong has come full circle by returning to his home reservation to serve as one of the newest members of the Tribal Council.

Armstrong has never held elective office, but reiterated that his long stint working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs has prepared him well for the politics associated with public service.

“It’s not a huge learning curve,” Armstrong said. “It’s similar, but much more intimate. Many of the various responsibilities are the same, but here it’s your family.”

Armstrong said his first goal in office is to help CRIT get its budget in order.

“To just make sure there is accountability for all funds, whether it’s tribal money or federal grants or what have you,” Armstrong said. “The program coordinators and directors must be accountable, and so must the Tribal Council, to get the most bang for the buck, if you will.”

Armstrong was raised in the Parker Valley and attended the old Valley School, then LePera Elementary School, and graduated from Parker High School. As a high-school athlete, he gained notoriety as a star in football as an offensive and defensive tackle. Armstrong went on to play junior college football at Palo Verde Junior College and then at California State-Fullerton.

His first job in law enforcement was as a detention officer for CRIT in 1973, and later as a patrol officer. He eventually left to become the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for the Fort Mohave Indian Tribe.

In 1975, Armstrong left Fort Mohave to join the BIA as a law-enforcement officer.

“I steadily rose up the ranks from there,” he said, completing over 3,000 hours of basic and special training over the years.

Armstrong retired in 2005 as the Special Agent in Charge for the Great Plains Region in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he oversaw 12 bureau agencies and 37 tribally contracted programs.

Armstrong said his law enforcement career was rewarding in many ways, but there was one downside.

“Unfortunately, I have seen the worst of the worst of what Indian people can do to other Indian families. That’s the sad part. For me it’s worse than going to war, because you see relatives hurting other relatives. I suppose it made me somewhat callous. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve let all of that go. I’ve become more emotional.”

After retiring, Armstrong spent about a year as magistrate for the Fort Mohave Tribal Court, and attended and completed training at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada during this time. During his law enforcement career, Armstrong stayed in close touch with the CRIT community, returning home to visit family and friends several times a year.

Armstrong and his wife, Donna, have four grown daughters who all live in the Phoenix area.