PASCHAL SHERMAN
A life of accomplishment and service
Written by Paul Grant Wapato, nephew of Paschal Sherman (Frank Wapato)


April 17, 1970

The death of Dr. Pascal Sherman brings sorrow to the hearts of all who followed his inspiring life’s career. He will be especially missed throughout the American Indian community, whose well-being he served with such distinction.

But he will be affectionately remembered by countless other fellow citizens for the admirable qualities of mind and spirit that made him such an outstanding leader and great human being.

My deepest sympathy goes out to all who mourn his loss. May the knowledge of his enduring achievements comfort you, even as it will continue to enrich our country and the people to whom he was so devoted.

The above Telegram was from President Richard M. Nixon

In our present-day American society, children receive a given name at birth and, perhaps, also a middle name, which precedes their family name, or surname, to form the name they will carry through life. Around the turn of the century, it was already common for a child of the Columbia Basin Indian bands to receive a name in this form.

Thus, a child born to Charley and Matilda Wapato at Chelan, Washington in 1895 was named Frank Wapato. Charley was the son of Ne-quel-e-kin, and his second wife, Te-mish. By the 1860s, Ne-quel-e-kin was operating a ranch and trading post at Wells Coulee, on the Columbia River below Chelan, and was widely known as Wapato John. As a youth, Ne-quel-e-kin had spent considerable time observing farming practices of settlers in the Willamette valley; from this, he had become skilled in growing potatoes (“wapato” in Chinook jargon) and other produce, in his home country, leading to the title, “potato king of Chelan”.

At that time, Indian children during their growth years often were given or took names representing admired spirits or characteristics. So it was that Frank Wapato received the name “Quas-quay”, meaning Blue Jay. In ancient traditions, the Blue Jay has the power of traveling to distant places; on returning, he announces the news from his travels to the people, sometimes quite raucously. Much later, it would be seen that the boy from Chelan had remarkably fulfilled this role.

In August 1906, the lives of Matilda Wapato and her children were disrupted, when a land dispute resulted in the murder of her husband Charley, by a nephew. This tragedy lead Matilda, in 1907, to send her fatherless boys, Paul and Frank, to school at St. Mary’s Mission, near Omak, Washington. The older Paul was already gaining notice for athletic talent, and soon left, invited to live with families in Chelan and Wenatchee, where he attended school and excelled in many sports.

The school’s brilliant director, Father Etienne DeRouge’, was an enthusiast of drama, and instilled that appreciation in many of his students. His understanding of the importance of presentation may have led DeRouge’ to the view that young Indians with the ability to explore the white man’s world might be less limited if exotic names were replaced with names more familiar to Americans. Thus, soon after coming to the Mission, Frank Wapato dropped the Chinook word for potato as his surname to become Paschal Sherman, named for a line of medieval popes and a famous Civil War general. Frank’s brother became Paul Grant, invoking another Civil War hero. When Paul left the Mission, he returned to his family name, but kept “Grant” as a middle name, being known as Paul Grant Wapato until his death in 1955.

At St. Mary’s, the abilities of Paschal soon drew the attention of Father DeRouge’. Special courses were arranged for him in literature, art and music. He became an accomplished artist, with paintings hanging at the school and in the Indian Bureau offices at Spokane, and was the main organist at the Mission church. He acted in school plays, was an exceptional player in baseball, football and track, and during the summer, he rode his family’s winning racehorses in big race meets at Okanogan, Riverside and Chelan. By the time Paschal left the Mission, in 1914, for St. Martin’s College in Lacey, Washington, he had completed the equivalent of two years of college training.

Chief Smitkin, among others, urged the Indian Bureau to deed sufficient land to the Mission to guarantee the future of the school. Senator Wesley L. Jones, visiting for a hearing on that matter, was impressed by the school’s academic program. He asked DeRouge’ what he hoped to accomplish during his tenure. The Jesuit replied, “If I can succeed in establishing just three young Indians who will carry on for the benefit of their race. I will die happy”. When asked if he had picked these lads, the priest answered. “Yes, Paschal Sherman, John Cleveland and Francis Favel”.

In 1914, Paschal Sherman won a scholarship to St. Martin’s College where he, without difficulty, entered the Junior class, “merrily taking up the philosophy course with Latin textbooks in three volumes”. He credits this achievement to the Mission’s academic environment and the opportunities provided for independent reading. At St. Martin’s, Paschal became a school leader, became quarterback and captain of the football team and editor of the college newspaper. One of his editorial tasks, in June, 1916, saddened him; he received word of the death of Father DeRouge’. In response, he published a two-page “Tribute” in the St. Martin’s paper. All this, while earning expense money by teaching Latin, sweeping halls and washing dishes.

After two years at St. Martin’s College, Paschal Sherman received an A.B. degree and won a Knights of Columbus graduate scholarship to Catholic University in Washington D.C., in an international competitive examination. Paschal later wrote, “I could not have won except for the education obtained at the Mission, with the concomitant sharpening of my perception and wits, because the tests included Latin, French, English and Ancient History, on which I obtained little additional learning at St. Martin’s”.

After a year at Catholic University, Paschal Sherman received a Masters of Arts, then proceeded on to receive a Ph.D. in Constitutional History, writing a thesis entitled “Our Indian Land Law: It’s Origin and Development”. This led him to concentrate on law studies; in 1920, Paschal received an L.L.B. from the Washington College of Law, and, a year later he completed a Master’s Degree in Patent Law.

Armed with this education, Paschal Sherman then began a 44-year career as an attorney with the Veteran’s Bureau in Washington, D.C. He made key contributions in early Federal veteran’s programs by developing policies and field manuals that helped veterans to obtain their full disability benefits. He held administrative positions in the Seattle and Boise area offices, as well as in the nation’s Capital. At his retirement, in 1962, he had risen to vice-Chairman of the VA Disability Policy Board.

Throughout his career, Paschal Sherman read widely and became expert in Indian affairs and Indian law. He made frequent trips back to the Colville Reservation to visit his friends and relatives. He enjoyed speaking to them in the Wenatchee Salish dialect. Paschal claimed that, while alone in Washington, D.C., he maintained fluency by having conversations with himself in Wenatchee.

Maintaining contact with his ethnic and family roots was important to Paschal. After the tragic death of her husband at Chelan, Paschal’s mother, Matilda, made her home on Paschal’s allotment near Malott, Washington until her death in 1934. Paschal visited her there on business and vacation trips to the West. Of course, during the summer, Matilda Wapato was often absent, on trips about the region with her horse-drawn wagon. She became famous for these solitary journeys. A high point of her summers was a leisurely trip up the Methow valley, visiting her favorite digging grounds and her many friends among the settlers wives, culminating in huckleberry picking at Hart’s Pass. On a few occasions, Paschal was able to join Matilda on parts of this pilgrimage. On other trips during his young adult years, Paschal got in touch with his heritage by joining friends at summer encampments in the area, sometimes donning traditional dress to break from the Washington, D.C. “white shirt and tie” life.

During his college days, Sherman had been engaged to a girl on the Reservation, but, on returning from school, he found that she had married. Although he did not lack for female friends in Washington, D.C., Paschal never married, and had no children. However, he loved to talk to the children of his friends and the five nephews and one niece that his brother Paul had provided him. His gentle cajolery of children always encouraged curiosity and study.

Paschal Sherman developed another passion as his career grew: a love for the Constitution of the United States and the city that is the physical representation of the government based on that document. In spite of the frequent lapses of men representing our Government over the years, particularly with respect to treatment of Native Americans, Paschal firmly believed that our Nation’’ founders have created man’s best structure for governing a modern society. Throughout the history of the United States, when men and institutions have deviated from our Principles, citizens have used their Freedoms to force those men and institutions to correct themselves. This is the duty of citizenship in our society.

Paschal greatly enjoyed conducting visitors to Washington, D.C. on tours of the many shrines of our Nation in that city, pointing out the historic and artistic, as well as philosophic significance of each site.

Sherman did not take an active role in Indian affairs, nationally or on his own reservation, until after 1953, when Congress passed a resolution declaring an intention to terminate Indian rights and reservations across the country. This serious threat to the legal identity and land rights of all native Americans was the challenge that led Paschal Sherman to contribute his abilities to national Indian affairs.

Thus, he joined in founding the National Congress of American Indians to fight for preservation of the lawful rights of American Indian tribes. He brought a dedicated discipline, legal training, determination and truthfulness to the NCAI and helped develop a constitution and operating procedures for the only national Indian organization then in existence. He served as its Treasurer and, for many years, as the Chairman of its Fiscal and Administrative Committee.

Paschal Sherman also became actively involved in the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and, until his death, served as Chairman of the American Indian Civil Liberties Trust, overseeing grants to Indian tribes and organizations to help them preserve historic legal rights.

During the 1960s, when his own Colville Reservation was threatened by racist legislators with termination of its Federal status, Paschal Sherman flew west again and again, serving as consultant and legal advisor in the fight to prevent Congress from liquidating the unique Federal rights of his people and their remaining lands.

He was warmly introduced in meetings by Northwest Indian leaders as “Dr. Sherman – the only Indian with five college degrees”. He sat in the front row of every meeting and was quick to question Federal policies and point out inconsistencies. At night, he would be up late, helping tribal leaders with statements and resolutions for the next day’s meetings. He was sought after, not only for his piercing legal mind, but also for his warm, gentle sense of humor.

After retirement from the VA, Paschal Sherman always had time to help a worthy Indian cause, whether it meant penning a letter of advice, squiring a delegation around to the proper offices in Washington, D.C., or flying across the nation to attend a meeting.

Sherman’s dedication and hard work brought great achievements for himself and for his people. For nearly 20 years, he provided a source of encouragement, information and political strategy for tribal leaders throughout the country. In 1962, he wrote an encouraging message to a tribal councilman, revealing much of his personal philosophy: “You have a studious turn of mind and a fine sense of responsibility to your people. A man can waste a lot of time at home and in other places. Whenever you have the time, and unless you’re too tired from the day’s work, read, read, study, study; take notes, take more notes and file them methodically; look ahead, plan on paper (not just in the mind), learn, observe, ask questions; and your increasing knowledge and experience will become invaluable to the people, and the vehicle for your own personal advancement.”

Paschal Sherman was called on to serve as Chairman of the American Indian participation in the Inaugurations of President Kennedy, President Johnson and the first Inauguration of President Nixon. He considered these tasks to be great honors.
It seems that praise for a man’s good works often come only after he is gone. After a heart attach felled Paschal Sherman in April, 1970, telegrams praising his friendship, dedication and expertise poured in from across the nation, as his body was flown back for burial at his beloved St. Mary’s Mission.

A typical testimony came from Ronnie Lupe, Chairman of the White Mountain Apache, who telegraphed that, “…the Indian nation surely miss Dr. Paschal Sherman, but the spirit and symbolic manifestation of all that he did on behalf of all American Indians will live on and will be well remembered.”

The National Congress of American Indians President Earl Oldperson and Executive Director Bruce Wilkie, his frequent coworkers, said, “…To many people of many races, he was a noted and respected leader; to his Indian people in America, he was a champion. We shall miss his active participation in our midst, but we shall never forget the principles for which he stood and shall ever strive to fulfill his wishes for a better life for all American Indians”.

Telegrams from dozens and dozens of friends, Tribal leaders, Senators, Congressmen and Cabinet members were received. The governmental tributes were led by President Nixon’s, Walter Hickel, the Secretary of the Interior, sent a telegram saying, “The passing of Dr. Paschal Sherman is a great loss not only to the Indians of the United States but to all interested in Indian affairs. Dr. Sherman was a living example of the success an Indian may achieve through hard work, diligence and determination. He retired from the Veteran’s Administration in 1962, …but he never retired from work for the betterment of Indians.”

A meaningful accolade came from Deward Walker, the noted anthropologist at the University of Colorado, who observed that: “…Perhaps his greatest contribution was his successful fight to save his own reservation and home lands from the greed of those who see land only as a source of money. Let us all be inspired by his life, to renew our devotion to helping all subject peoples free themselves from tyranny”.
Paschal Sherman felt deeply that true self-determination of the Indian people would be accomplished only through knowledge and self-discipline. In 1967, he wrote of his old Mission school, that the “thousands of children who have gone to this school generally have seen to having their own children acquire a better education and prepare for a better place in society. Indian schools, therefore, have an uplifting effect in the long run, and should be continued, taking practical advantage of the growing awareness of Indians doing something for themselves, in order to be self-sufficient in every aspect of their lives.”

Indian “self-sufficiency” continued to grow after Sherman’s death. Termination became a dead issue, as tribes capitalized on their resources and worked to chart their own future. In 1974, the Business Council of the Colville Confederated Tribes entered into an agreement with St. Mary’s Mission, transferring control and responsibility for the Mission school to the Tribes. The tribe was then able to contract for Federal funds to guarantee the continuing stability of Paschal Sherman’s much loved school. New buildings were built, and Indian administrators and teachers were hired to promote the philosophy of DeRouge’ and his most prominent student, that knowledge and discipline would enable them to achieve their aspirations.

Just as DeRouge’ had encouraged young Frank Wapato to take a new name to signify the leadership role he would have in the future, the new and changing role of the St. Mary’s Mission school has been signified by a change of name. The school continues into future as the Paschal Sherman Indian School. Let us aid this institution in adhering to the goals and visions of Etienne DeRouge’ and Paschal Sherman.

The three names carried by this man speak of the different aspects of his life: Frank Wapato, from the tall intelligent Chelan Indians who gave him his beginnings and his lifelong concern for the rights and lands of his people; Paschal Sherman, the dedicated scholar and attorney who made so many unique contributions to the fight for Indian rights; and “Quas-quay”, the Blue Jay with special powers to travel to distant places and bring needed information back to the people.
Our world, unfortunately, still has groups who greedily covet what little “the people” have; We still need the Blue Jay: “the people” still need to be told!