[4] His professional life has been devoted to serving the American Indian community on cultural, artistic, educational, legal and governmental issues.

[2][4] Born in San Bernardino, California, West grew up in a log cabin in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

[5] His father, "Dick" West, was a well-respected Cheyenne painter, who chaired the art department at Bacone College.

[4] During his tenure in the Smithsonian, the Washington Post exposed his lavish travel expenses and a gala farewell celebration.

After conducting an investigation at the request of the United States Congress, the Smithsonian Institution's inspector general found that West "should have exercised better judgment."