Mount Rushmore's Dark Legacy
Gerard Baker, now 71, still works out on his Montana ranch despite suffering from health issues. His six-year stint as the first Native American superintendent at Mount Rushmore was transformative and tumultuous. Conceived in 1925 by Gutzon Borglum, who envisioned a memorial to American political system, the monument has become a lightning rod for interpretation.
Baker's efforts to introduce Native history at Mount Rushmore were met with resistance from local groups, including the Mount Rushmore Society, which questioned his approach and style. This led to clashes and a toll on Baker's health, resulting in a stroke in 2009. Despite these challenges, Baker remained committed to telling Native American stories within the national park system.
The Black Hills, where Mount Rushmore stands, are sacred to the Lakota people, who were forcibly removed from their land in 1877 after defeating George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry at Little Bighorn. The US seizure of the Paha Sapa led to a process of erasure for Native American culture and history.
Baker's approach was unprecedented, as he hired local Native American interpreters to share stories about their tribes. He also set up tipis to educate visitors and recruited hoop dancers to perform at Rushmore's auditorium to showcase Indigenous culture. This effort was a culmination of Baker's career in expanding the interpretation of national parks.
However, not everyone within the Black Hills community welcomed this expanded narrative. The memorial became a source of pain for many Native Americans, who saw it as a reflection of the US's genocidal march west that killed millions of Native people.
Today, Baker wonders if he could have been less forceful in his pursuit of change, but his legacy continues to be felt at Mount Rushmore. As the Trump administration seeks to remove historical complexity from national parks and museums, Baker's battles over interpretive soul strike a chord.
Baker's words serve as a reminder that interpretation is power: "We have to look at what do the visitors want to hear when they come to a park like Rushmore... And how do they want to leave? Well, most people want to come to a national park and leave with that warm, fuzzy feeling with an ice-cream cone. Rushmore can't do that if you do it the right way." If done correctly, interpretation can leave visitors "pissed," but also empowered with a deeper understanding of American history and culture.
The power of interpretation is what Baker fought for at Mount Rushmore, and it remains a crucial aspect of national parks and museums today.
Gerard Baker, now 71, still works out on his Montana ranch despite suffering from health issues. His six-year stint as the first Native American superintendent at Mount Rushmore was transformative and tumultuous. Conceived in 1925 by Gutzon Borglum, who envisioned a memorial to American political system, the monument has become a lightning rod for interpretation.
Baker's efforts to introduce Native history at Mount Rushmore were met with resistance from local groups, including the Mount Rushmore Society, which questioned his approach and style. This led to clashes and a toll on Baker's health, resulting in a stroke in 2009. Despite these challenges, Baker remained committed to telling Native American stories within the national park system.
The Black Hills, where Mount Rushmore stands, are sacred to the Lakota people, who were forcibly removed from their land in 1877 after defeating George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry at Little Bighorn. The US seizure of the Paha Sapa led to a process of erasure for Native American culture and history.
Baker's approach was unprecedented, as he hired local Native American interpreters to share stories about their tribes. He also set up tipis to educate visitors and recruited hoop dancers to perform at Rushmore's auditorium to showcase Indigenous culture. This effort was a culmination of Baker's career in expanding the interpretation of national parks.
However, not everyone within the Black Hills community welcomed this expanded narrative. The memorial became a source of pain for many Native Americans, who saw it as a reflection of the US's genocidal march west that killed millions of Native people.
Today, Baker wonders if he could have been less forceful in his pursuit of change, but his legacy continues to be felt at Mount Rushmore. As the Trump administration seeks to remove historical complexity from national parks and museums, Baker's battles over interpretive soul strike a chord.
Baker's words serve as a reminder that interpretation is power: "We have to look at what do the visitors want to hear when they come to a park like Rushmore... And how do they want to leave? Well, most people want to come to a national park and leave with that warm, fuzzy feeling with an ice-cream cone. Rushmore can't do that if you do it the right way." If done correctly, interpretation can leave visitors "pissed," but also empowered with a deeper understanding of American history and culture.
The power of interpretation is what Baker fought for at Mount Rushmore, and it remains a crucial aspect of national parks and museums today.
. Gerard Baker's story is really interesting, especially since he was a pioneer for Native American representation at Mount Rushmore - it makes sense that there would be some controversy around that, but it's not like he gave up! And I love what he said about interpretation being power... I feel like we need more people speaking out about how we can make our museums and parks more inclusive and accurate 
. It's wild to think that the Trump admin is trying to remove historical complexity - isn't that just going to erase even more of our cultural heritage?
I'm still fuming about how the US government handled those Native Americans in the 70s and 80s, you know? The whole history of Mount Rushmore is so twisted, it's like they're trying to erase their own culture. I mean, can you imagine if someone came into your backyard and started building a monument with your face on it without even asking? 
. Baker's legacy is a reminder that interpretation is super powerful, but it also requires us to be honest about the complexities of American history and culture.
. And honestly, if that means leaving visitors feeling a little uncomfortable or "pissed" off for a second, so be it - sometimes you gotta shake things up to get people to see (and feel) something new 
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– it should challenge their assumptions and leave them thinking differently. That's why Baker's legacy is still so important today...
. Gerard Baker's efforts to share Native American stories were super important, but it's sad that some folks still got all up in arms about it 
. Like, come on, we need more of these kinds of conversations at Mt Rushmore and other national parks, not less 
. We gotta acknowledge the pain and struggles of our indigenous friends, you know? It's time to get real about what happened and why 
. And the fact that his efforts led to a stroke in 2009 is just, wow... I don't even have words 
The fact that Baker's legacy continues to be felt at Mount Rushmore is a reminder of the power of interpretation, and I'm so here for it 
. We need more people like Gerard Baker who are willing to challenge the status quo and bring about change... even if it's not always easy 
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It's like they just erased all their history and culture.
, like erasing the lakota people's story is gonna make it less painful 
. Did you know that over 80% of Native Americans in South Dakota are enrolled members of a federally recognized tribe? 
The US seized land from them in 1877, and it's still affecting the communities today 
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. In 2020, only 13% of visitors were Native American 
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. In 2019, there were 2.3 million visitors to Mount Rushmore. That's around 12% of Americans who visited the monument last year 
. Since Baker started, hoop dancing has increased by over 500%! 
That's what happens when we give voice to underrepresented communities.
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. Like, I get it, it's a super painful reminder of US history and all that's gone wrong with Native American treatment 
. i think baker's approach was a step in the right direction, though - getting more native voices represented and sharing their stories is SO important. and honestly, i kinda love that he wasn't afraid to ruffle some feathers 
. anyway, it's definitely making me think about how we can do better when it comes to interpretation and representation... 
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. Like, come on! The Black Hills are sacred to the Lakota people, and they've been through some serious trauma at the hands of the US government. It's not okay to erase their culture and history just because it makes visitors uncomfortable 
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... its a reminder that interpretation is not just about presenting facts, but also about listening 2 the voices of those who've been marginalized & giving them space 2 share their stories