John H. Artichoker, 41, Superintendent of the Colorado River Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, is the new Area Director of the Phoenix Area Office of the Bureau, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Louis R. Bruce announced today.
He replaces W. Wade Head. Head retired after 37 years of government service and a career in which he served successively as Bureau of Indian Affairs Area Director in Anadarko, Okla., Gallup, N. M., and Phoenix.
Artichoker, an Oglala Sioux Indian, will head one of three regional offices in the Southwest. The Southwest has the largest Indian population in the nation. His appointment became effective June 27.
"We are fortunate to have John Artichoker in this position," said the Commissioner in making the announcement. "He has served as Superintendent of three Bureau agencies -- Northern Cheyenne, Montana; Papago, Arizona; as well as Colorado River, Arizona -- and has diversified experience as an administrator, educator, and program manager."
Artichoker holds a B.S. and M.A. degree in education from the University of South Dakota. He became Director of Indian Education for the State of South Dakota in 1951. He joined the federal government in 1962 as Tribal Affairs Officer for the Billings Area Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Later that year he transferred to the Division of Indian Health, Aberdeen, S. Dak., as tribal relations officer.
He returned to the Bureau in 1963 as Superintendent of the Northern Cheyenne Agency. After three years he was transferred to the Superintendence of the Papago Agency, where he remained until his reassignment in 1968 to the Colorado River Agency.
Artichoker received the Junior Chamber of Commerce's Ten Outstanding Young Men's Award in 1964 and the Indian Achievement Award in 1965.
He was born in Pierre, S. Dak. and is married and the father of two sons.
