Gerard Baker: Current Park Superintendent, 2
Heritage Village is a small cluster of Sioux tipis, where during the work week Native American cultural ambassadors are available for demonstrations of the Sioux culture and handicrafts, answering questions and providing insight to the culture which occupied the Black Hills prior to the advent of the white settlers. Whether with a finely crafted sense of diplomacy or from a natural encouragement of personal exploration, the Heritage Village does not have any signage on the Presidential Trail which passes nearby to announce its presence. Gerard Baker brings a definitely atypical perspective to the administrative role he holds, acknowledging that the topic of sacred geography is by its very nature difficult to condense for tourists, especially given that Dr. Baker's stance is not to interpret the sacred geography for the park visitors. (www.rapidcityjournal.com) This is a marked opposition to many of the official visitor center materials which extoll the nationalism and patriotic rhetoric explaining the sculptures in the mountain face.
At times Gerard Baker's words, policies, and projects have been somewhat controversial, including the decision to construct the Indian Memorial at Little Bighorn, to stage an 'Attack at Dawn' ceremony at the 120th anniversary of Custer's Last Stand where Native American warriors 'counted coup' on a stone marker for a mass U.S. cavalry grave with a display of American Indian horsemanship, and there are even voices raised in concern about the appropriateness in including the Heritage Village within the Mount Rushmore Memorial Park itself. (www.rapidcityjournal.com) Always interested in maintaining a balanced representation of both Native American cultural and historical contributions and preserving the essence of each park
<<< Prev Next >>>