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MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL, S.D. - When Gerard Baker, an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes, was hired as the superintendent at Mount Rushmore nearly four years ago, not much, if anything at all reflected the rich history of American Indians in the Black Hills.
Baker, the proud guardian of the behemoth granite shrines of presidents' George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, said one of his priorities after he came aboard was to bring the Native story to life.
"That story wasn't being told. A part of my position here is making everyone feel welcome."
This desire, along with plenty of input, led to the creation of the Heritage Village exhibit in 2008, located off the Presidential Trail. It features three tipis, each one representing the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota nations.
Last summer, Native storytellers, artisans and hoop dancers engaged visitors, and the park plans on doing it all over again this summer season.
Where park visitors sit, stand or walk, the ancestors of the Sioux freely trekked before being forced onto reservations starting in the mid-1800s. For Baker, the exhibit was the logical step forward to provide an area where inquisitive visitors can learn about the...