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Protecting
a Spiritual Way of Life
Indian Country Today
David Melmer
October 10, 2005
STURGIS, S.D. -
Bear Butte is under attack - again.
A proposed biker
bar, campground and outdoor concert venue is planned for construction
on the north side of the sacred mountain.
Indigenous people
from some 30 nations claim Bear Butte as sacred and they pray at the
mountain. Vision quests are held on the mountain in preparation for
the Sun Dance today as it has been for centuries, Lakota elders say.
The mountain is a
South Dakota state park and visitors can hike at any time, even when
prayer is taking place. It is also located 20 miles north of Sturgis.
Therein lies the problem.
Sturgis is home to
the largest motorcycle rally in the nation which is accompanied by
noise, concerts, partying and, as opponents of development claim,
''debauchery.'' And all within shouting distance of the ceremonial area.
American Indians
who oppose the new development said they were insulted and degraded
because the na me of the business would be ''Sacred Ground.''
Also proposed by
the developer, according to the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, is a
tipi village and an 80-foot-tall statue of an American Indian along
with several other bars in the area.
Developer Jay
Allen could not be reached for comment. Land owner Jim Reed,
connected to the project by the public media, told Defenders of the
Black Hills, a local group with national ties organized for the
protection of the Black Hills and other regions, said that Reed had
not sold the land and was not in partnership with Allen.
The 600 acres on
which the business would be located has not been sold and no liquor
license has been applied for. But Defenders of the Black Hills and
allied groups took no chances and approached the county commission
with pleas to disapprove a liquor license should it reach the
commission. Both American Indian and non-Indians were present at the
commission meeting.
Carter Camp, Ponca
f rom Oklahoma and AIM member, said the drunkenness and revelry were
getting closer to the mountain. Two such businesses outside Sturgis
presently attract nationally known entertainment. That causes those
who pray at the mountain to lose focus and concentration, many in the
packed court room said.
''Take care of
what is sacred. Nothing has aligned nations like this,'' Camp said.
To emphasize the
strong connection people have for the mountain, Camp said young
people are willing and ready to die to protect this sacred site. The
comment was taken as a threat by the commission, but many people said
it was not a threat.
The commission was
told by many people that the American Indian nations will not let
this issue drop - they will fight for the sacredness of the mountain.
Up to 20 nations
in Oklahoma consider Bear Butte to be sacred and they make
pilgrimages to the site every year. Most of the vision quests and
praying take place around the time of t he Sun Dance, which
corresponds with the time of the Sturgis Rally.
''We want no more
filth and debauchery and we ask you to help us. We will help you
recover any lost money,'' Camp said.
Bear Butte was
visited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Red Cloud,
Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, all Lakota, visited and prayed at the
mountain. Sweet Medicine, the Cheyenne spiritual leader, as the
Cheyenne origin story is told, is said to have received the sacred
arrow bundle for the Cheyenne at Bear Butte. The Lakota name for the
mountain is Mahto Sapa, or Bear Mountain.
''It is a travesty
to have alcohol so close. There should be no alcohol within five
miles of the mountain. Would you allow bars near your churches_''
Charmaine White Face, president of the Defenders of the Black Hills,
asked the commissioners.
''Would you allow
a biker bar and campground next to your church_'' she said.
White Face asked
the commissioners to think 50 ye ars into the future. The rally, she
said, is not as well-attended as before, indicating it may be on the
decline. The Sturgis rally is one of the most lucrative events in
Sturgis and the Black Hills, but biker rallies are cropping up all
over the nation.
''I ask you to
look more long -range. The retirees are coming and they come because
of the environment: they don't come during the rally. I want you to
think about ecotourism,'' she said.
White Face told
the story of a young man who was praying on the mountain and was shot
at some years ago. He was not injured.
''What does that
say about America_ A person was shot at while praying. Turn five
miles around Bear Butte as a wilderness,'' she said.
Economics is the
motivation for building businesses near Bear Butte. It's a solemn
site, and for bikers and tourists it's also a pristine place to
visit. But greed and capitalism run counter to the Lakota belief
system, said Debby White Plume.
'' People are
grounded by money; that's not how we are. Many people are interested
in capitalism, but the money will not stay here. This bar won't make
the county or you rich,'' she said.
Theresa Two Bulls,
state senator from Pine Ridge, said her first session in the state
senate was a learning experience. ''I found that education was needed
about our ways. We learned your ways in school. We don't want
economic development where we pray.''
The Rosebud Sioux
Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe passed resolutions opposing any sale
of land near Bear Butte. Both resolutions call for a five-mile buffer zone.
The commission
members made no comments and asked few questions. The commission
recorded the testimony and it will be put into the record in case any
application for a liquor license is received.
NOTE: In
accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is
distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a
prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research
and educational purposes only.
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