Assistant Secretary Forrest J. Gerard today announced that Deputy Assistant Secretary George V. Goodwin, Jr., will return to his native Minnesota to work with his Tribe.
"Mr. Goodwin has outstanding experience and leadership qualities" stated Gerard, "and he has been a vigorous advocate for the Indian interest. The focus of his work in our administration has been the improvement of the management systems and structure of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, in order that: the agency might be fully responsive to the unique and pressing needs of the Indian tribes."
Deputy Goodwin's resignation is effective November 17, 1978, and he leaves the Department of the Interior after three years’ service in the field and in Washington, D.C. · "I know that this decision was a most difficult one, "Gerard said, "but his return home will not erase his valuable contribution to the Indian field and will greatly benefit his home area."
Goodwin, a member of the White Earth Chippewa Tribe, has accepted the position of Executive Director of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe in Cass Lake, Minnesota, a post he occupied prior to joining the Department in 1975.
"Now that we have completed the BIA reorganization study and design work, the implementation stage will soon begin in earnest," Goodwin said. "This brief period between stages affords me the opportunity to return to Minnesota and allows for new energies to be brought to the reorganization effort. The needs of Indian country are so many and varied that it is always tough deciding where individual Indians might best be of service. With my experience in Washington, I feel that my place is at the local level at this time."
Deputy Assistant Secretary since mid-1977, Goodwin previously was BIA Area Director at Minneapolis. Following his earlier work with the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, he was Director of the Indian Community Action Program at Bemidji State College, from which he graduated with a B.A. degree in 1964.
