[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 103 (Thursday, July 18, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S5797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING GORDON BELCOURT

 Mr. TESTER. Madam President, today I wish to honor the life 
and legacy of Gordon Belcourt, the executive director of the Montana-
Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council. Gordon passed away on July 15 in 
Billings, MT.
  Gordon was a tremendous leader and advocate for Indian Country. A 
trusted and experienced voice, Gordon could always be counted on to use 
common sense to get to the heart of the issue and find a solution. He 
leaves big shoes to fill, and he will be missed by all Montanans. 
Sharla's and my heart goes out to all of Gordon's friends and family 
who are mourning his loss.
  Gordon grew up on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and graduated from 
Browning High School. He attended the University of Santa Clara in 
California, where he participated in the ROTC Program, before becoming 
a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He earned a master's degree in 
public health from the University of California at Berkeley and 
returned to the Big Sky State to attend law school at the University of 
Montana. He also served as president of the Blackfeet Community 
College. Gordon, who was honored by the State of California and the 
University of California Berkeley as a Public Health Hero, received an 
honorary doctorate from the University of Montana for his work to 
improve Native American health.
  Gordon built the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council from the 
ground up, serving as executive director beginning in 1998. He gave the 
council a powerful voice--both throughout the region and across the 
Nation. He worked tirelessly to improve life in Indian Country through 
infrastructure projects, the permanent reauthorization of the Indian 
Healthcare Improvement Act, and the creation of the Tribal Law and 
Order Act. He also created the regional Tribal Institutional Review 
Board for the protection of the rights of Native Americans.
  Gordon was a courageous leader on issues of alcoholism and suicide in 
Indian Country. Due to Gordon's leadership, the Tribal Leaders Council 
received $5 million in 2009 to combat alcohol abuse among American 
Indians. His extensive knowledge of the issues facing the community and 
his commitment to doing what was right made him an outstanding advocate 
for Native Americans.
  As we bid farewell to Gordon, we recognize that he was a true warrior 
for Indian Country. His given Blackfeet name, Mixed Iron Boy, was in 
remembrance of the combat his uncle endured in World War II, and it 
will serve as a reminder to all of us of Gordon's remarkable strength, 
unwavering courage, enduring compassion, boundless vitality, and 
lasting legacy.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with Gordon's widow, Cheryl, and all of 
his family and many friends.

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