Defend Bear Butte

Melmer: Liquor sales to continue in Bear Butte

2006-05-15T21:22:00.000-06:00

Liquor sales to continue in Bear ButtePosted: May 15, 2006by: David Melmer / Indian Country Today
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096412973
STURGIS, S.D. - The expansion of liquor sales andentertainment complexes inthe shadow of Bear Butte continues unabated byprotests, petitions andlawsuits.The commissioners of Meade County, in which Bear Butteis located, rejected alegal petition to put the issue of a malt beveragelicense for Jay Allen'sSturgis County Line bar on the grounds that they madean administrative decisionand it was not subject to referendum. The petitionsincluded 756 signatures.A liquor license was also renewed for Allen's BrokenSpoke bar, which islocated within sight of Bear Butte.An additional liquor license for a new biker bar, theRock 'n The Rally,which is within earshot of Bear Butte, was awarded toGary Lippold on May 2.Lippold also owns a resort near the mountain.Protesters and opponents of expanded entertainmentvenues appeared at twohearings, one held April 4 for Allen's application andanother on May 2 forLippold's.Opposition is coming from more areas than tribalgovernments, members andorganizations. Local ranchers are also protestingbiker bar expansion. Someranchers at the April 4 hearing said they had toretrieve trash in the ditchesalong the highways and roads they travel on a dailybasis during the rally. Onerancher said she was afraid when 30 bikers drove intoher driveway. They weredrunk and lost, she said.The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, held in early Augusteach year, attracts some500,000 bikers who tour the entire region for morethan a week. The officialrally is scheduled for only one week.Lippold said his new Rock 'n The Rally will featurenearly 20 majorentertainment events over the five nights of therally. He said Aerosmith, KeithUrbanand Big & Rich are among the bands already booked.Two lawsuits have been filed against bar expansion.Cheyenne River Siouxtribal attorney and state Rep. Thomas Van Norman fileda lawsuit on behalf oftheCheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The Lakota people areamong some 32 tribes thatconsider Bear Butte a sacred mountain and theycontinue to offer prayers at thesite.Van Norman's complaint states that the Meade Countycommissioners actedarbitrarily in its determination of Allen's characterand, according to thecomplaint, the commissioners placed the burden ofsuitability of character onthechallengers, not the applicant.Another lawsuit, filed by Rapid City Attorney BruceEllison, was filed onbehalf of Meade County rancher Jessie Levin and sixothers. That complaintalleges a violation of due process and that thecommission failed to followlegalstandards in the application process. Ten differentgrounds were filed with thatcomplaint.Protesters and opponents are not finished. Protestsare in the planningstages for the rally itself; and a July 4 rally isstacking up to bring innearly5,000 people from all over the country, according toorganizers.The Bear Butte International Alliance, a groupopposing any expansion ofliquor or entertainment in the vicinity of Bear Butte,states on its Web sitethatits initial stand continues: ''No more alcoholpermitting until a buffer zoneis established protecting the custom, culture andtradition of the people whoregard Bear Butte as a sacred site.''A five-mile buffer zone was requested and, accordingto letters from allLakota tribal governments, that is still their stand.''We have a concern for sacred sites; they are a placewhere great leadershave a vision and you are destroying mother earth,''said Arvol Looking Horse,19th generation keeper of the sacred pipe of theLakota.''We want to save our way of life. The energy of lifeneeds to be wellrespected,'' he told the commissioners.Russell Eagle Bear, Rosebud, said the tribe boughtland near Bear Buttebecause they had no other place to pray. A lodge sitson the land and is usedforeducation and spiritual purposes. The biker bars, withliquor, are just downthe road from the lodge.The Northern Cheyenne recently purchased more land atthe base of Bear Butte.The Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council also opposes anyliquor near themountain.The Northern Cheyenne origin stories center aroundBear Butte. Sweet Medicinewas given the sacred bundle for the Cheyenne at BearButte.The county commissioners remained steadfast in theirapproval of more andrenewed liquor and malt beverage licenses. Onecommissioner, Dayle Hammock, saidthe commission acted within the legal limits byrefusing to honor the petitionfor a referendum. He told the crowd if they didn'tlike the law, they shouldgo to the state Legislature and have it changed.An administrative decision, according to state law, isnot subject toreferendum of the voters.''The BBIA believes that all who have been engagedwith Meade CountyCommissioners on this land use issue remain committedto living well on thesesacredlandscapes.''We will not silently go away, our work, values anddetermination to supportgovernment policies of local control based on humanrights is stronger todaythan ever,'' according to a prepared statement by theBBIA.NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107,this material isdistributed without profit or payment to those whohave expressed a priorinterestin receiving this information for non-profit researchand educational purposesonly.

They Don’t Want Indians Praying at Bear Butte

2006-05-13T23:19:00.000-06:00

They Don’t Want Indians Praying at Bear Butte 24 April 2006
by Debra White Plume, Bring Back the Way, writing from the banks of Wounded Knee Creek
This letter is regarding the Meade County Commissioners decision to approve the alcohol application of Mr. Jay Allen who proposes to build a 22,500 sq foot bar, 155,000 sq foot asphalt parking lot, and an amphitheater to seat 30,000 near Bear Butte. Bear Butte is a Sacred Mountain to our Lakota People and many other Native Nations. We pray there, learn there, and receive healing there. Bear Butte is our church, school, and hospital.
While some people may believe that since there is no development actually ON THE MOUNTAIN, it is ok to build nearby. However, elected officials such as the Commissioners have a responsibility not only to the people who vote candidates into office, but to people everywhere who depend on the judgment of officials to take care of social responsibility. There are laws in place all over the United States which protect the integrity of churches, schools and hospitals. The Meade County Commissioners have the power to demand by example that all people, businesses, organizations, and governments show their respect for a Sacred Mountain by their ability to enact a vote of No to Mr. Allen's application. This is a great responsibility that the Meade County Commissioners have. The eyes and ears of the whole country and many other nations watch their action regarding this issue.
Through my work with Treaty Councils in Lakota Country and at the United Nations regarding the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’, I know that the Lakota People and many other Native Nations have the inalienable Human Right to pray at sacred places. This Human Right becomes denied when the decision-makers approve of action, which in essence, sanctions the desecration of sacred places. Many people urged the Commissioners to consider the future when making decisions, to think of the coming generations of not only Lakota People and other Native Nations, but of Meade County residents’ grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well. A good leader is visionary for his people, and for all people, who will be effected by his decision making. Bear Butte is a sacred place, it is a National Historic Site, it is a State Park, and the nearby Bear Butte Lake is a National Wildlife Refuge. With such highly esteemed designations, the Meade County Commissioners had all these reasons, these good reasons, to vote in such a manner as to protect and preserve Bear Butte for the people of today and generations to come.
Many of us attending the April 4, 2006 hearing urged the Commissioners to take courage and vote for the environment, the natural balance of Creation, the coming generations. We urged them to stand together as a Commission against the powerful raging money machine that often drives small towns into making disastrous, regrettable decisions, that in the end benefit no one except the one capitalist owner and the recipients of the pitifully-few dollars he/she may spread around town while taking home the millions, violating the rights of others, contaminating the environment and the society impacted by the driving force of wanting to make the dollar, in disregard for the destruction he leaves behind for others to clean up and suffer from. Indeed, as elected officials, the Commissioners must be aware that the decision to allow Mr. Allen the one tool he needs to make a profit from his endeavor, will in fact, result in great suffering for the Lakota people and other Native Nations who need and cherish Bear Butte, as well as environmentalists who respect Bear Butte for the special place that it is. Isn’t 60 bars enough?
Indigenous People all over the world, and environmentalists all over the world, could have celebrated the Commission’s decision to protect and preserve the Sacred Mountain, Bear Butte, if the vote was to tell Mr. Allen, "No, the location of your establishment is inappropriate for an alcohol license. Such a location would be damaging to too many people, too many generations, too many species of the environment. Your application is denied." However, the decision was to approve Mr. Allen’s alcohol-license application. The power was there for the Commission to enact an honorable decision, yet without any discussion, the vote was unanimous to approve. Many people, including residents of Meade County, feel the Commission’s action was not only dishonorable, but premeditated. The decision did not surprise many, for not many expected to receive justice in the Meade County Courthouse. Yet, the construction of Mr. Allen’s bar has been halted, for the moment, by the many days and nights of falling rain, hail, sleet, and snow; by a power greater than the Commission.
On the mind of many people at the rally and the hearing was the remembrance that April 4 was the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., who said “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands in times of challenges and controversy.” The world watching that day certainly saw where the Meade County Commissioners stood, and now understand the ultimate measure of these men as individuals and as a collective. Who do they represent? Many residents are against further destruction of the environment of Bear Butte.
The many people who marched on Sturgis, closing down Highway 34, included several Traditional Healers (Medicine Men), elders, Treaty Councils, many Sun Dance Societies, Headsmen, Matriarchs, elders, school children, high school and college students and faculty, Warrior Societies, United States military Veterans, elected officials, ikce wicasa and winyan (common men and women), drum groups; bikers from several states, South Dakota Senators and Congressional Representatives, Civil Liberty Attorneys, church groups, Tribal Police, and local and Black Hills area residents. We engaged in a collective action. We stood in solidarity.
At the Protect and Preserve Bear Butte Rally the Lakota and other Tribal Nations, and our many brothers and sisters of all races and walks of life stood together in solidarity with one prayer, to protect and preserve Bear Butte. The prayer strengthened the people, which was in the heart of those who organized the Rally: Intertribal Coalition to Defend Bear Butte, Lakota Action Network, Owe Aku (Bring Back the Way), Mennonite Central Committee, Bear Butte International Alliance. We all understood that the Commission is guided by a system of oppression, the capitalist system. Some felt that the Commission was also guided by another system of oppression, racism. We understood that environmental racism (policies/laws which most greatly impact a group of people-Lakota and other tribes, in this case) would also probably rear its’ ugly head, and it did. Yet, we recalled the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., who said “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” We could not be silent that day, we had to make a stand for our Sacred Mountain. It was a peaceful stand, there were no arrests, not criminal behavior, no riot broke out. The Lakota Security (Warrior Society) on duty that day protected the Rally participants, and kept a firm hand on the crowd at all times. The only people who got out of hand were the towns folk peeking out of stores who yelled insults at our youth. We did not throw insults back, our voice was our March and our Rally, and we were not silent that day when we made a stand for our Sacred Mountain and our Way of Life.
Our work is not done, we will continue to resist the desecration of Bear Butte. April 4 was just the beginning of our resistance. We will continue to make a stand for our Human Right to pray, for our Sacred Mountain, with the establishment of an encampment, with Opening Ceremonies on July 4 at Bear Butte. We will camp there with our Tribal Nations, organizations, and societies, and our allies will join us. We will have a peaceful Gathering of Nations to Defend Bear Butte. In this organized resistance to the desecration of our Sacred Mountain, and the accompanying destruction to our Way of Life, we will host many learning experiences from traditional medicine and food to international Human Rights law. The Meade County Commissioners have stated that they are concerned and worried about so many “Indians coming to town.” We wonder why they do not worry about the drunken, drugged tourists, a higher crime rate, enormous mounds of trash, people urinating in the ditches because there are not enough toilets for half a million people, increased police calls, and the many social problems testified to by county residents at the hearing (not to stereo-type the bikers, just repeating the residents’ testimony!). We wonder why the Commission would choose to be faced with such an outcome, but they don’t want Indians praying at Bear Butte?

Commission Decision May Be Challanged

2006-05-13T15:45:00.000-06:00

Saturday, May 13, 2006
Commission Decision May Be Challenged

STURGIS (AP) -- The attorney for a group challenging a beer license for a campground biker bar near Bear Butte says the Meade County Commission's decision to reject petitions calling for a public vote on the issue will not stand up in court. The South Dakota Supreme Court has struck down similar moves by county commissioners in the past, said Bruce Ellison. American Indians and some rural neighbors of Bear Butte circulated a petition last month to put the liquor license issue on the ballot. The Meade County Commission decided it was an administrative decision that is not subject to a public vote. Indian groups have protested campgrounds, bars and other commercial operations that are being located two to three miles from Bear Butte during the Sturgis motorcycle rally. They say the noise and activity interferes with their religious activities at the Butte.

Suggested letter to Bike Rally sponsors

2006-05-12T23:10:00.000-06:00

This is a suggested letter to be submitted to the sponsors of Sturgis Bike Rally. If you choose to write your own letter, PLEASE be respectful and use the tone of this letter as your guideline.
Thank you!

Dear

The Coalition to defend and protect Bear Butte http://www.DefendBearButte.org Defend Bear Butte - is comprised of Traditional native people and nationswho willbe gathering in Sturgis in July, before, during and after the bike rally,to protest the desecration to Bear Butte Mountain.

Bear Butte is considered a SacredMountain to 30 Indian Nations. In addition to these 30 Indian Nations, native people from other nations also come to Bear Butte to pray – many people do, native and non-native,for they have great respect and love for this Sacred place.Our Sacred Bear Butte faces even a greater threat by the development of a huge biker bar,campgrounds and other plans for similar establishments so close to Bear Butte.

For hundreds of years, Native People have come to Bear Butte, to pray, in their Sacred Ways and with all the noise, drinking and other related problems that will be associated with an establishment of this type, the area will be desecrated.

The fall-out from such an establishment willalso have a negative impact on the residents of the area and will ruin what was once, a quiet, peaceful and beautiful place.In addition, a scant 2 miles from where the venue is scheduled, is the FortMeade Veterans Hospital. These veterans who have sacrificed so much deserve to heal and spend their last days in peace. We talk about supporting our Veterans but we all too often forget them, when they return home, maimed and with life-long health issues.

Traditional People and their supporters, in excess of 10,000 people, the news media, and the Coalition to defend and protect Bear Butte will be present at this gathering. We also have the support of many bikers who agree with us that Bear Butte should not be sacrificed for this proposed development. We will make our views known and the eyes of the world will be upon all of us as to what will happen to Bear Butte.

Your sponsorship of this rally will be perceived by many people that you support events where alcohol and drugs are freely consumed, where loud music interrupts the peaceful sounds of the area and the rights of residents to live in their homes in peaceful and quiet enjoyment is not respected. It projects the image that you do not respect what is Sacred to thousands of people.Is this the image you wish to portray to the world?

Our intent is not to stop the rally - all we have asked for is a 5-milebuffer zone so that Bear Butte may remain protected and that native peoplemay continue to come to our Sacred Mountain as we have done for centuries to pray.Is this too much to ask? Rational and reasonable people agree that a 5-mile buffer would be a fair resolution to this issue.

Please think of future generations and the beauty of Bear Butte and withdraw your sponsorship until a settlement is reached in fairness to alland afive-mile buffer zone is established to keep our Sacred Bear Butte protected.Please show your respect and support for our Sacred Bear Butte and for the veterans at Fort Meade and for the year-round residents of Sturgis.Please support the 5-mile buffer zone. In doing so, you are showing that you are a business with integrity and respect.

This support from you will have a very positive impact on your business and it will bring you a more successful business and a lot more support from the entire community.

Thank you.

Support the 5-mile Buffer Zone!

Defend Bear Butte!http://www.DefendBearButte.org

List of Sturgis Bike Rally Sponsors

2006-05-12T23:02:00.000-06:00

List of Sturgis Bike Rally Sponsors

Snap-on IncorporatedP.O. Box 1410Kenosha, WI 53141-1410, U.S.A.262-656-5200

James ZiemerPresident, CEO Harely DavidsonNational H.O.G. OfficeP.O. Box 453Milwaukee, WI 532011-800-CLUBHOG (1-800-258-2464)FAX: 414-343-4515FOR US-BASED MEDIA INQUIRIES please call (414) 343-INFO (4636).

Jack Daniel DistilleryLem Motlow Proprietor Route 1 Lynchburg, Tennessee 37352.877-Spirits

Sony dealer
email : cs.sas@theadvantage.com

Ford
Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center P.O.Box 6248 Dearborn, Michigan 48126 1-800-392-3673(FORD) TDD for the hearing impaired:1-800-232-5952 Monday - Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM local time

Geico Insurance
Sales & Service1-800-44-CYCLE (442-9253)motorcycle@geicomail.com

South Dakota Pork
National Pork BoardP.O. Box 9114Des Moines, IA 50306515-223-2600

Anheuser-Busch, Inc.One Busch PlaceSt. Louis, MO 63118
1 800 342 5283

The Real Security Company
email: Info@TheRealSecurityCompany.com
phone 866/878-TRSC (8772).

Take it Easy

Tom's T's
Lowell Schwartz and Tom Monahan
1117 Main Street
Sturgis, SD 57785
(605) 347-6169
800-865-9995. sturgistshirts@hotmail.com

Coca-Cola
Dan Schaefer
pressinquiries@na.ko.com
404-676-2683
404-515-6428
PO Box 1734
Atlana, GA 30301

Midcontinent Communications
1-800-888-1300
mccomm@midco.net

Pierce Manufacturing
1-888-YPIERCE
contactcenter@piercemfg.com

TDG Communications
93 Sherman StreetDeadwood, SD 57732
605.722.7111FAX: 605.722.7112Tom Griffith, president - tom@tdgcommunications.comNyla Griffith, vice president - nyla@tdgcommunications.com
Monte Amende, creative director - monte@tdgcommunications.comDustin Floyd, marketing executive - dustin@tdgcommunications.comChad Blair, marketing assistant - chad@tdgcommunications.com

Da Bus
L.V. Matt Bruer
dabus@sturgisweb.com

Bear Butte to see another biker bar

2006-05-12T22:49:00.000-06:00

Bear Butte to see another biker bar

STURGIS, S.D. - Another biker bar will live in the shadow of the sacred Bear Butte in the Northern Black Hills.

With a vote of 5 to 0, the Meade County commissioners approved a malt beverage license April 4 for Jay Allen, owner of the soon-to-be Sturgis County Line campground and biker bar, which is located two and one-half miles north of Bear Butte.

More than 500 people, American Indians and supporters, gathered at Bear Butte to pray and offer support in opposition to the license. The group then assembled outside the courthouse where the hearing was held, but not all were able to enter the room in which the hearing was held.

Meade County is the largest county by area in the nation and property rights are nearly sacrosanct. Only two criteria are needed to acquire a malt beverage license: character of the applicant and location of the business.

Since there are other beer licenses within two and one-half miles of Bear Butte, the commissioners said they could not disapprove the application given the fact that Allen has a good record. Allen owns an existing biker bar, the Broken Spoke, which he boasts is one of the biggest such bars in the world - upwards of 500,000 bikers visit the area in the first two weeks of August.

Other beer licenses nearby are located at campgrounds and businesses other than large or designated biker bars. Allen plans to construct a 35,000-seat amphitheatre, a campground, RV park and, eventually, a rodeo arena.

''I have a respect for the people [American Indians], but I have a right to do what I'm doing,'' Allen said.

He said even if the beer license was not approved, he would build the campground.

''There are many sacred places to your nation and to our nation. Thirty nations consider that mountain to be sacred,'' said Carter Camp, Ponca. The Ponca Tribe is one of the tribes that has historically prayed at Bear Butte.

Traffic and excessive noise from open-baffled motorcycles is a major concern to those who pray on the mountain. ''The location could not be worse,'' Camp said.

Many opponents of the beer license agreed that Allen could have a beer license but felt that he should move the location of the proposed bar.

Allen's Broken Spoke bar is located west of Bear Butte. The new facility will be east of the Broken Spoke, just north of Bear Butte. ''When Bear Butte is destroyed, it is the end of our culture,'' Camp said. Opponents argued that future generations of American Indians will be affected by the consumption of alcohol and party atmosphere around Bear Butte. Many tribal nations bring youth to the mountain to pray and be educated about the culture. ''Our view of the world is our view from that mountain,'' said Lawrence Kills Back, tribal council member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. The Northern Cheyenne own some 700 acres of land around Bear Butte. ''We bring youth here to learn about their identity,'' he said. The Northern Cheyenne Tribal council has passed two resolutions, one that supports the environment, the other in opposition to the beer license. The Meade County Commission received more than 600 letters, both supportive of and in opposition to the license. An international association to protect Bear Butte received more than 4,000 signatures on a petition opposing the application. ''I come from a culture that respects the collective with integrity; you [the commission] talk about individual rights,'' said Rosalie Little Thunder, president of the South Dakota Peace and Justice Center. ''This will bring unbelievable degradation to this community.'' There are 46 malt beverage licenses in Meade County, 12 liquor licenses and seven package liquor licenses, most of which are in Sturgis or along I-90 between Sturgis and Rapid City, and all are welcoming to bikers. ''As a taxpayer, I want to know where this will stop,'' said Justy Levine, a Meade County rancher who lives east of Sturgis. She said garbage is strewn along the roads and that she had visits from 30 bikers, drunk and lost, in her yard. ''I was alone and afraid to go outside. How much more do we have to take?'' she said. ''I'm ashamed to be from Sturgis.'' To the south of Bear Butte are two very large biker bars: the Full Throttle Saloon, billed as the largest biker bar in the world, and the Buffalo Chip, famous for its outdoor concerts. Sturgis is home to many small casinos and bars. Most of the biker-oriented businesses operate only during the first two weeks each August. Resolutions from three tribes supported a five-mile buffer zone around Bear Butte without liquor or beer licenses. The state Legislature killed a bill that would have created a buffer zone in this year's session. Bryce Flint, attorney for Allen, said the issue was about property rights and that there were no buffer zones around any religious sites or parks. ''We can't use religious criteria. There are bars in Meade County within two and one-half miles of churches.'' Also at issue was to find a way for both cultures to work and live together. American Indians have been shut out of issues by the state Legislature in past years and now by a county commission. Debbie White Plume, Oglala, from the Bring Back the Way organization, said the decision was not unexpected, but she said the young people were disappointed. ''We will not go away,'' she said. There is a gathering planned for July 4 at Bear Butte and expectations are that hundreds of people from many nations will attend. The commissioners were reminded that they could shape the future of the county by the decision they make to allow another biker bar. ''I go to Bear Butte every night to watch the sunset. This is not about drunkenness and sex,'' Allen said. ''There is a lot I can do with this property. By 2008 I expect a rodeo grounds. This will be a positive, and not about the bar business.'' He indicated the business would eventually be open longer than the two weeks of the annual Black Hills Motorcycle Classic, known also as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Commissioner Dean Wink, who represents the district in which Bear Butte is located, said he was not convinced that the county needed another biker bar and that he knew the mountain was a symbol for American Indians; but he referred to the way the United States was established and had set up rights for people, and that private property rights were paramount because this was a Meade County issue. ''There was nothing presented today that would prevent this license.''

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096412798

Battle over Bear Butte Continues

2006-05-12T22:45:00.000-06:00

05/02/2006
Battle Over Bear Butte Continues

The battle over Bear Butte continues in western KELOLAND. Native Americans consider the butte a sacred site and are upset with plans for nearby development. It was a heated hearing today between Native Americans and Meade County commissioners, as those who view Bear Butte as a religious site begged for a liquor license to be denied. An opponent said, "I just ask you to respect our way of life!"Business man Gary Lippold is expanding his Glenco Campground south of Bear Butte into a large concert area.Rev. Gary Arnold said, "Bear Butte has been and continues to be a sacred place of prayer and meditation for several Native American nations. And the noise in the nearby rally park can only disrupt religious practices on Bear Butte."But Lippold's supporters say there are benefits to the expansion.Supporter Evan Taylor said, "I think it's a good deal. He puts a lot money back into the community."The commissioners voted in favor of giving him a liquor license; it's the second they've approved for businesses near the butte in less than a month. Native Americans also protested the decision to give Jay Allen a liquor license in April and today they turned in signatures that could push the issue to a public vote. Petitioner Anne White Hat said, "The petition effort has been a tremendous success."It didn't take long for opponents to collect more than the required 700 signatures.White Hat said, "We've been able to garner nearly a thousand signatures in just one week."And as they turn in the signatures, these Native Americans know another fight is right down the road. KELOLAND News tried to get a comment from Gary Lippold, but he wasn't available after the meeting. As for Jay Allen, he calls the petition hopeless. The signatures will next have to be accepted by the county, and then verified in order to have a public vote.

Indian groups plan protests during Sturgis biker week

2006-05-12T22:36:00.000-06:00

Indian groups plan protests during Sturgis biker week
Associated Press

STURGIS, S.D. - American Indian groups upset at commercial expansion toward Bear Butte during the Sturgis motorcycle rally say they will stage daily demonstrations during this year's rally.

Their commitment came Tuesday after the Meade County Commission approved a liquor license transfer for a new concert venue, Rock'n the Rally at Glencoe CampResort.

Last month, the commission approved a beer license for the Broken Spoke Saloon and Sturgis County Line campground.

Both enterprises would be about 3 miles from Bear Butte, which is a sacred site to a number of tribes.

Carter Camp of the Intertribal Coalition to Defend Bear Butte and Jay Red Hawk of the Bear Butte International Alliance said the demonstrations during the Sturgis rally will be peaceful.

The groups also are organizing a large, summerlong gathering at Bear Butte that could draw as many as 10,000 people, Camp said.
Camp said the groups will ask bikers to voluntarily honor a buffer zone around Bear Butte, staying away from the rally campgrounds, saloons and concert venues east of Fort Meade Veteran's Affairs Hospital. He believes some bikers will side with the groups.

"We're not trying to shut down the rally," Camp said. "We know the rally has an economic impact on the state; we just want a buffer around Bear Butte."

On Wednesday, the Meade County auditor said enough valid petitions had been submitted to refer the Broken Spoke beer license approval to a public vote.

The county commission can schedule an election or determine that granting the license is an administrative act that can't be referred to a vote, the state's attorney told the commission Wednesday.
Tempers occasionally flared at Tuesday's hearing on the liquor license application by Gary Lippold.

Commissioners imposed a 30-minute time limit for each side, but only a fraction of the opponents had spoken as the time limit expired.
At one point, Sheriff Ron Merwin stood between the commissioners and a number of angry people who were still waiting to testify when the time limit expired.

Lippold told the county commissioners that he needs to serve liquor for the hospitality tents and VIP tents that would draw the upscale crowds he needs to make the venue a success. He is paying the county $500,000 for the liquor license.

"I can't sell enough booze in 10 lifetimes in (10 days per year) to pay for this liquor license," he told the commissioners. But with the license, he said he will be able to draw upscale crowds and stage country music festivals at other times of the year. He vowed to do everything possible to mitigate the noise and other effects on Bear Butte.

Opponents talked at length about Bear Butte and its role in American Indian culture.

Nancy Hilding of Black Hawk said South Dakota law bars liquor sales on Sunday morning out of respect for Christians but that Indians are denied the same protection of their religion.

Information from: Rapid City Journal, http://www.rapidcityjournal.com

Contact Us

2006-05-12T22:02:00.000-06:00

Carter Camp(605) 867-1941 cartercamp@yahoo.com

Vic Camp(605) 867-1941 victoriocamp1@yahoo.com

Debra White Plume(605) 455-2155 lakota1@gwtc.net

Sky Davis(413) 529-9423 ironlodgesky@charter.net

Introduction

2006-05-12T21:56:00.000-06:00

The Intertribal Coalition to Defend Bear Butte was formed on Nov 5, 2005 in order to develop & engage in action to protect our sacred site of Mato Paha & our way of life. Among the people we determined that our vision could best be realized through the formation of an intertribal collaborative effort. Through the Coalition, we will work collectively with others on sacred site protection, & with other groups with a diverse but common focus such as Human Rights, Cultural Preservation, & other indigenous peoples’ issues