Wayne Patch, Sr.
Vice Chairman

It was a fateful lunch late last year that caused Wayne Patch, Sr. to decide to run for Tribal Vice Chairman.

“I was having lunch at the casino one day and the Tribal Council was having some meetings, and I had some questions about what had been going on,” he said.

“I had been retired, so I didn’t think much of it, but when I thought about it some more I decided I wanted to contribute to helping our people.”

Patch’s wish was granted on December 6, 2008, when he defeated two other candidates in the Tribal Council elections to become Tribal Vice Chairman.

He said one of his main priorities will be to be open to input from Tribal members on how Tribal Government can work better for them.

“I decided to run to make a difference and to make a change in how we do things,” he said. “One thing I’ve noticed is that we need to listen to the voice of the people more.

“We have four tribes here, and we need to have respect and recognition for all of them,” he said.

Patch was born and raised on the CRIT Reservation. He served in the United States Marine Corps and afterward lived in South Dakota, Oklahoma and Sacaton. He worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs much of that time, including in Parker, until retiring about six years ago.

Patch also said he wants to make sure the CRIT Constitution is current and updated, and is indicative of what the people of CRIT believe.

“We need to make sure the constitution reflects the voice of the people,” he said. “I strongly believe they should have a voice on key decisions.”

He also said he wants to focus on taxation issues, health care and taking care of CRIT’s elder population.

Mostly, Patch said he wants to bring a more positive outlook to Tribal government, with a focus on fairness and respect between Tribal members.

“We can’t change the things that have happened in the past, but we can move on with the future,” he said. “This is a new beginning for CRIT, and I hope Tribal members will stand with the people they voted into Tribal Council.”

Patch also said he would like to thank all the Tribal members who supported him and voted for him in the December 6 election.