Forrest Joseph Gerard

Forrest Joseph Gerard passed away on December 28, 2013 in Albuquerque, NM. He was born on January 15, 1925 on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. He is a citizen of the Blackfeet Tribe of Montana. Gerard is survived by Kay, his wife of 65 years; daughters Patricia, Margaret, Rebecca and Jennifer; and son Stanley. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frederick Gerard Sr. and Rose Douglas Gerard; and siblings Frederick Jr., Charles, Mary, Hazel, Lyda, James, and John. Gerard is highly respected and revered by many throughout Indian Country and federal government circles because of the leadership role he played in empowering tribal communities through the transformation of federal Indian policy. In fact, it is not possible to have an informed conversation regarding Native American issues such as self-governance, self-determination, health and education without his name being prominently mentioned. After graduation from Browning High School in 1943, Gerard enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp and served with the 15th Air Force in southern Italy where he flew 35 missions as an engineer and gunner. He returned from military service in 1945 and earned a bachelor's degree in 1949 from what is now the University of Montana. Gerard entered public service with the Montana State Department of Public Instruction and advanced into positions with the Montana Tuberculosis Association and Wyoming Tuberculosis and Health Association. In 1957 he moved on to Washington, D.C. where he became the tribal affairs officer for the newly created Indian Health Service. After being selected for a coveted Congressional Fellowship in 1966, he moved to Capitol Hill and worked on Indian issues first with Representative Al Ullman from Oregon and later for Senator George McGovern from South Dakota. He then served as the legislative liaison officer in the Bureau of Indian Affairs and as Director of the Office for Indian Progress at the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. In 1971 Gerard became a professional staff member on the U.S. Senate's Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. It was in this post that Gerard drafted some of the most significant pieces of legislation in the 20th century, including the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, the Indian Financing Act and the Indian Health Care and Improvement Act. In 1976 he established a lobbying firm to represent tribal interests in the federal arena. In 1977 President Jimmy Carter nominated him to be the first Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. He was confirmed by the Senate and served until 1980 when he returned to private lobbying practice in Washington, D.C. Many prominent professional people proudly refer to Gerard as their mentor and credit him with having been a major influence in their lives. Gerard was the subject of the book, The Last Great Battle of the Indian Wars that chronicled his contributions to history. In 1992 he and Kay moved to Albuquerque, and enjoyed their time with family and friends, cultural activities, traveling, and all the beauty of New Mexico. A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, January 3, 2014, 2:00 p.m., at FRENCH Wyoming. Friends may visit beginning at 1:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to the United Tribes Technical College at www.my.uttc.edu or the National Museum of the American Indian at www.nmaistore.si.edu . FRENCH - Wyoming 7121 Wyoming Blvd. NE (505) 823-9400