RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - About 60 American Indian elders from across South Dakota are expected to gather Thursday at Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Park Superintendent Gerard Baker is from the Hidatsa-Mandan tribe of North Dakota and scheduled the two-day summit as a way to get input on the interpretive programs about the history and cultures of Plains tribes.
He started an outreach to tribal people soon after he took over as superintendent three years ago.
Baker says this is the first summit for tribes at Mount Rushmore and is essentially a listening session for park workers.
Many Indians believe the Black Hills are sacred and the monument is a symbol broken treaties.
