[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 58 (Thursday, April 22, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S2584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO GERARD BAKER

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to Gerard 
Baker, Superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial. 
Superintendent Baker has accepted a new assignment as Assistant 
Director for American Indian Relations for the National Park Service. 
While his leadership at Mount Rushmore will be greatly missed, the 
entirety of the Park Service will benefit from this new role. I have 
enjoyed working with Gerard in his capacity as Superintendent and want 
to take this opportunity to recognize his accomplishments.
  During his tenure, Gerard has helped promote a comprehensive 
understanding of the significance of Mount Rushmore and the surrounding 
Black Hills. In addition to telling the story of the four Presidents 
whose likenesses are carved into the mountain, he and his staff have 
worked to broaden the perspectives of history, culture, and natural 
resources at the memorial. Visitors, young and old alike, have enjoyed 
expanded interpretive programs, including an award-winning audio tour 
available in Lakota and a Heritage Village highlighting the history and 
customs of local American Indian communities. Gerard has done an 
admirable job of promoting understanding and celebration of all of the 
cultures that make up our democracy.
  Gerard's long and accomplished career with the National Park Service 
began in 1979 at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site 
where he worked as a park technician. He worked his way up and 
eventually became Superintendent of Little Big Horn Battlefield 
National Monument. He would later serve as the first Superintendent of 
the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail before coming to Mount 
Rushmore. Throughout his career, Gerard has been recognized with 
numerous awards for exceptional work. He was also recently featured in 
the Ken Burns documentary ``The National Parks: America's Best Idea.''
  National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis should be commended for 
recognizing the importance of working with tribes across our country on 
cultural and natural resources issues central to the Park Service's 
mission. He could not have picked a better person to represent the Park 
Service in this capacity. In addition to vast experience with the Park 
Service, Gerard brings a lifetime of learning from his own heritage as 
a Mandan-Hidatsa Indian. That perspective, coupled with the charisma 
and good humor Gerard is so well known for, will be a great asset for 
the Park Service.
  In closing, I would like to thank Gerard and his wife Mary Kay for 
their dedication to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills area. I wish him 
all the best in his new position as Assistant Director for American 
Indian Relations for the National Park Service. Gerard's efforts at 
Mount Rushmore will continue to benefit visitors for years to come, and 
I congratulate him on his accomplishments.

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