[sohj]

Quote:

STURGIS - American Indian groups vowed Tuesday to stage daily demonstrations in Sturgis during the 2006 motorcycle rally to protest the event's continuing eastward expansion toward Bear Butte, a sacred site to a number of tribes. However, Carter Camp of the Intertribal Coalition to Defend Bear Butte and Jay Red Hawk of the Bear Butte International Alliance both emphasized Tuesday that the demonstrations will be peaceful. In addition to the rally week protests, the groups are organizing a large, summerlong gathering at Bear Butte. It 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.

http://www.defendbearbutte.org/groups_vow_protests.htm

This is a sacred place to Lakoda, Cheyenne, Anishnaabe, Ponca, Osage, Dakota, Nakota, Arapaho, Kiowa, and many, many others.

And this is adding insult to injury:

Quote:

The original name of Allen's project was Sacred Grounds, and until Lakota and other nations raised objections, Allen intended to erect on the site an eighty-foot-high statue of a Native person praying. From Allen's perspective, he has treated the indigenous population fairly, noting through a spokeswoman that local tribes had passed up two opportunities to purchase the land he ultimately acquired.

Another website, this one with some photographs: http://www.all4all.org/2006/06/2580.shtml

Just a reminder: We are all on Indian Land.

 

[Skim]

: Terrible!

Thanks for posting the links.

 

[~member~]

Awesome! If you look at the pics you can see a lot of my family!!! I wanted to be there, but due to my own 'problems', could not.

 

[pumpkinsmama]

I love the unity being shown from other religions, something that is all too rare nowadays.

Quote:

Carl Meyer of the Mennonite Central Committee was among the non-Indian speakers. So was Gail Arnold, a Methodist minister from Belle Fourche. Arnold presented a letter from the Association of Christian Churches in South Dakota. It said: "For many years, state and local governments have shown respect for our places of worship by establishing fair zoning practices and by exempting our properties that are used for worship and education from taxation. ..... That is why we were surprised and dismayed to hear that you have granted an alcoholic beverage permit to an out-of-state entrepreneur for a Rally Park in the vicinity of Bear Butte State Park. ..... Bear Butte has been and continues to be a sacred place of prayer and meditation for several Native American nations. The noise from a nearby rally park can only disrupt religious practices on Bear Butte."

this really shows that it is another case of NA issues not being equal in the gov.'s eyes to others. yuck.

And forgive me, but you should have thought about things before shelling out that kind of money, which you were able to come up with, so financially you can't be that bad off that you "really" need this.:

Quote:

At the start of the hearing, 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.