Gerard Baker

Gerard Baker is a prominent Indigenous leader who served as the first Native American superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial from 2004 to 2010. A member of the Mandan-Hidatsa tribe, Baker dedicated his tenure to expanding the interpretive narrative of the memorial to include Indigenous histories and perspectives, challenging the dominant narratives surrounding the site. His work aimed to honor the sacred significance of the Black Hills to the Lakota people and to address the complex and often painful history of Indigenous Americans in relation to the memorial, making him a significant figure in the ongoing conversations about representation and historical truth in national parks.