Protect Bear Butte

2011-12-05T19:02:00.001-07:00

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Response to: FORMAL REQUEST: Documentation on Meade County Regulations for "Not a Suitable Location"

2009-12-04T20:49:00.002-07:00

Commissioner Aker,

I realize that you are a new Commissioner as of this last year. I am concerned that you could make your ruling on approving these licenses surrounding Bear Butte without fully being aware of what the guidelines and basis for approval or denial even are.

Here is the info as per South Dakota Legislative Research Council’s Memo 94-32 “A SUMMARY OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSING PROVISIONS”

"depending on whether" the secretary or governing board "deems the applicant a suitable person to hold such license and whether" the secretary or governing board "considers the proposed location suitable.

" SDCL 35-2-1.1 and 35-2-1.2. http://legis.state.sd.us/IssueMemos/IssueMemos/im94-32.pdf

35-2-1.2. Applications submitted to local governing board--Fee--Approval or disapproval. Any application for a retail license, except as set forth in § 35-2-1.1, shall be submitted to the governing board of the municipality within which the applicant intends to operate, or if outside the corporate limits of a municipality, to the board of county commissioners of the county in which the applicant seeks to operate. The application shall be accompanied by the required fee. The governing board may approve or disapprove the application depending on whether the governing board deems the applicant a suitable person to hold the license and whether the governing board considers the proposed location suitable.

Source: SDC 1939, §§ 5.0206, 5.0305; SL 1945, ch 21, § 1; SL 1951, ch 11; SDC Supp 1960, § 5.0204 (14); SL 1961, ch 14; SL 1964, ch 9; SL 1965, ch 12; SDCL §§ 35-4-32, 35-4-33, 35-6-15; SL 1971, ch 211, § 13; SL 2008, ch 37, § 140. http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=35-2-1.2

So what you are stating is that MCC does NOT have a written policy on what classifies as “not a suitable location?”

Chairman Mallow very clearly stated in the hearing in June 2008 that if the location was next to a church or school, the location could potentially be denied a license.

If there is no written factors for this stipulation, then what basis has the Commissioners been using all this time in their determinations? There has to be some legal guidelines used in rulings.

Again, I am requesting the documentation on this provision.

I do not feel that I need to make an appointment to be on an agenda to discuss this issue. It should be something that the Commissioners have upon request of the voters, since they have been ruling on it for five years!

Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Alan Aker [mailto:akerwoods@wildblue.net]
Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 1:06 PM
To: Tamra@protectsacredsites.orgTamra@protectsacredsites.org
Cc: Joell Romick; gcammack@meadecounty.org; Doreen Creed; dhammock@meadecounty.org; aaker@meadecounty.org; rmallow@meadecounty.org; Ken Chleborad; Lisa Schieffer; Doreen Creed; mikel.lefort@rapidcityjournal.com; Joell Romick; todd.williams@rapidcityjournal.com
Subject: Re: FORMAL REQUEST: Documentation on Meade County Regulations for "Not a Suitable Location"
Importance: High

Hello Tamra,

I'm sure others can correct anything incorrect in the following reply:

* Meade County has not adopted formal criteria for "suitable location" for a liquor or been license.

* Meade County has not adopted a policy that proximity to churches shall be considered in issuing such licenses.

* Meade County has not adopted a definition of "church" for alcohol licensing purposes.

It has been our practice that any Meade County resident can have a scheduled block of time on an upcoming agenda to discuss issues pertinent to county government. I cannot guarantee that our chairman would allow this topic on our agenda. Our practice has been that those desiring time on our agenda make that request to Joell Romick, and I have added her to the cc line of this message. There is no guarantee that the commission would adopt any particular policy or any policy at all, even if the matter were taken up as an agenda item. The vast majority of South Dakota counties make decisions on the suitability of the location of liquor licenses without such formal policies. If you choose to ask for agenda time, I recommend you have a written proposal for the commission to consider.

Thanks,
Alan Aker
Meade County Commissioner
District 4

FORMAL REQUEST: Documentation on Meade County Regulations for "Not a Suitable Location"

2009-12-04T20:44:00.002-07:00

December 3, 2009

Meade County Commissioners
1425 Sherman St.
Sturgis, SD 57785

To: Meade County Commissioners Cammack, Creed, Hammock, Aker and Mallow, States Attorney Ken Chleborad, Auditor Lisa Schieffer:

CC: via online web contact forms: Governor Rounds, US Senator Tim Johnson, US Senator John Thune, State Senator Bradford, SD Legislator Representative’s Wink, Rhoden, Brunner, Hereseth, Adelstein, Killer, Iron Cloud

On Wednesday, December 2nd Meade County Commissioners held a hearing for the retail on-sale liquor/package liquor licenses renewals for venues surrounding Bear Butte, including Glencoe, Full Throttle, Monkey Rock, Buffalo Chip and Broken Spoke Campground. All five locations renewals were ultimately approved.

As we have clearly stated over the past four years of opposition, Bear Butte is a sacred site and we oppose any liquor licenses being approved surrounding the mountain.

During my testimony of opposition to the renewal of these licenses, I again requested further clarification in which licenses would be denied based upon “location,” in addition to defining the classification for a location being within the boundaries of a church or school.

The Meade County Commissioners distinct stipulation, “not a suitable location” is one of two stipulations that would disqualify a location or person from approval of an alcohol or liquor license in Meade County.

Instead of a response, I received blank stares and NO RESPONSE or acknowledgement from any of the five Commissioners. I repeated my request again, after a few moments Commissioner Aker stated he would respond to my request after all the testimony was completed.My request was NEVER answered by the Commissioners during the hearing.

This complete disregard, non response or acknowledgment of this question was extremely disrespectful and unacceptable. Residents and voters are entitled to a responsible response from the Commissioners, when we are questioning the clarification of your policies.

In June 2008 at the Meade County Commissioners meeting, I questioned the Commission regarding the clarification on the “location” classification, and how they determined this qualification.

Commissioner Mallow responded that if the location was near a church or school, the application would potentially be denied.

My response was these locations are near a church, Bear Butte has been considered a church by Native people for thousands of years. Our church is the mountain and mother earth. It is where we go to pray and to seek guidance from the Creator. Our church is not in a building on a street corner, it is the mountain. It is a church, just as much as yours.

Commissioner Mallow’s only response was, “I will not debate religion with you, Bear Butte or this location does not qualify within the County guidelines of a church.” End of discussion. Refusing to continue the conversation or provide a reasonable explanation for this ludicrous and insulting statement.

If the Commissioners are going to uphold these two distinct stipulations, they are required to clearly define with specific documented legal details, WHY Bear Butte does not qualify for “not a suitable location.” This question has yet to be answered in four years of questioning.

For clarification, I am formally requesting in writing as a local resident and voter, the Meade County Commissioners address the following points in detail with codes, ordinance info or applicable legal documentation to back up the stipulation. The because we say so, is no longer acceptable, legal documentation to back up your decision is hereby requested.

Clearly define:

“not a suitable location”

What basis a license would be denied based upon the criteria of “not a suitable location”

If within a distance of a church or school is in fact a basis of denial for location, clarify the distance of this requirement. Also clarify the definition of church within the ordinance or code.

Please respond in writing via email to tamra@protectsacredsites.org by close of business Tuesday, December 15, 2009.

Tamra Brennan

Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

Whereas traditional American Indian ceremonies have been intruded upon, interfered with, and in a few instances banned;…………… "Joint Resolution American Indian Religious Freedom", approved August 11, 1978 (42 U.S.C. 1996),

Whereas the United States has traditionally rejected the concept of a government denying individuals the right to practice their religion, and as a result, has benefited from a rich variety of religious heritages in this country; ;……… “Joint Resolution American Indian Religious Freedom”, approved August 11, 1978 (42 U.S.C. 1996),

Update on Bear Butte: Hearing Meade County Commissioners 12-2

2009-12-02T21:31:00.002-07:00

December 2, 2009
Update on Bear Butte: Hearing Meade County Commissioners 12-2 @ 3pm
Written by: Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director Protect Sacred Sites

There is no greater atrocity than the continual violation of our religious freedom and inherent right to partake in sacred ceremonies without being spiritually violated, or suffering from the destruction and blatant disregard of our sacred lands.

These Sacred lands are the bloodline and life way of our people and our traditions.

Whereas traditional American Indian ceremonies have been intruded upon, interfered with, and in a few instances banned;…………… "Joint Resolution American Indian Religious Freedom", approved August 11, 1978 (42 U.S.C. 1996),

As predicated, the Meade County Commissioners approved all the liquor licenses for the venues surrounding Bear Butte including, Broken Spoke Campground, Glencoe, Buffalo Chip, Full Throttle and Monkey Rock. Commissioner Doreen Creed voted against renewing both Glencoe and Broken Spoke Campground, the other four Commissioners voted to approve all.

Full Throttle originally was on the agenda, proposing to transfer their license to a new location they purchased, however late yesterday afternoon for unknown reasons, they pulled the transfer request. It is not known at this time if they will pursue this in the future or not. They were attempting to relocate a mile directly west of the Mountain, which would be next to Lower Brule Sioux Tribe’s property on the west side.

We had a very good turnout of supporters, and very heartfelt and emotional testimonies. There was a group of Native students from OLC in Rapid that attended. Would like to thank everyone again for taking the time to attend and oppose these licenses.

Whereas the freedom of religion for all people is an inherent right, fundamental to the democratic structure of the United States and is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution;……… "Joint Resolution American Indian Religious Freedom", approved August 11, 1978 (42 U.S.C. 1996),

The struggle to protect the serenity of Bear Butte from continual encroachment has ultimately developed into a religious freedom vs property rights issue.

There are two distinct stipulations that would disqualify a location or person from applying for an alcohol or liquor license in Meade County. These include, “not a suitable location” and/or “lack of character.”

In June 2008 at the Meade County Commissioners meeting, I questioned the Commission regarding the clarification on the “location” classification, and how they determined this qualification.

Commissioner Mallow responded that if the location was near a church or school, the application would potentially be denied.

My response was these locations are near a church, Bear Butte has been considered a church by Native people for thousands of years. Our church is the mountain and mother earth. It is where we go to pray and to seek guidance from the Creator. Our church is not in a building on a street corner, it is the mountain. It is a church, just as much as yours.

Commissioner Mallow’s only response was, “I will not debate religion with you, Bear Butte or this location does not qualify within the County guidelines of a church.” End of discussion. They refused to continue the conversation or provide a reasonable explanation for this ludicrous, insulting and racist statement.

Again at today’s hearing on December 2nd, 2009, I requested from the Commissioners an explanation for their qualifications in which they would deny licenses based upon “location,” in addition to defining their classification for a location being within the boundaries of a church or school. EVERY one of them stared at me blankly and DID NOT RESPOND. I repeated myself and asked if I was going to get a response. Commissioner Aker stated he would respond to my question at the end of all the testimonies. The others never replied at all. At the end of the testimonies, my question was still NOT ANSWERED. For two years now, I have repeatedly asked this question at every hearing, requesting the basis of the “location’ stipulation. Either there really is no definition, or they just don’t know it, or don’t care. It is one of two stipulations for denial of a license, however they have no explanation on definitions, doesn’t this seem strange?

I will be pursuing this further with the Commissioners and States Attorney, filing a complaint as a local resident and voter. If they are going to continue to have these two stipulations, they need to clarify them.

The other strange incident today was from Broken Spoke Campgrounds attorney. There is still a judgment against Jay Allen for $200k, from an unpaid contractor from 2006. When the Commissioners confronted the attorney about the judgment, he danced around answering questions, on Allen’s involvement with the business and if he still had a vested interest or not. The attorney couldn’t directly answer the question. Their own attorney doesn’t know Allen’s involvement? Everyone knows this entire charade since 2007 was simply a paper shuffle of LLC’s. However, their license was approved anyway.

When will it ever end? When will we finally begin to get support and justice in Indian Country? When will policies and laws finally be enforced, ensuring the protection of religious freedom for all the Indigenous people of this country?

Bear Butte Update: Upcoming Hearing Meade County Commissioners 12/2

2009-11-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

There will be a hearing at Meade County Commissioners on Wednesday, December 2nd at 3:00 p.m. This hearing will be for the retail on-sale liquor/package liquor licenses renewals, which will include all the locations near Bear Butte. This includes the large venues we have been battling against including Glencoe, Broken Spoke Campground, Buffalo Chip, Monkey Rock and Full Throttle.

There are some major new developments with the Bear Butte issue. Full Throttle Saloon, which is currently located on hwy 34 & 79, is proposing to move locations further to the east. They have purchased a property just east of Bear Butte off 9 mile road. This location is directly east approximately one mile from the mountain.

This hearing will include Full Throttle’s request to transfer their liquor license to the new location. The reason they are attempting this is, the City of Sturgis has proposed an annexation of city limits, which will include up to hwy 79, the venues affected are Full Throttle, Glencoe and Monkey Rock. If the City is successful in this annexation, they will begin to regulate liquor sales and property taxes will sky rocket. It appears that this is an attempt to avoid the regulation, moving just outside the proposed annexation boundaries.

Each year things are progressively getting worse, with more attempts at expanding further east towards the sacred mountain, Bear Butte. The 2010 Sturgis Rally will potentially be the largest rally in years, since it is the 70th anniversary. The City has already expanded the Rally beginning in 2010 from 7 to 10 days.

It’s time to take a stand a show a mass presence at this upcoming hearing, to let the Meade County Commissioners know this needs to stop NOW!

If you are able to attend the hearing, please come and show your support and oppose these licenses and the transfer request from Full Throttle Saloon.

If you can not make it and would like to send the Commissioners a letter of opposition, please see the contact info listed below.

When:

December 2nd @ 3 pm

Where:

Meade County Commissioners Courthouse

1425 Sherman St

Sturgis, SD 57785

605-347-2360

605-347-5925 fax

Email: meade@meadecounty.org

For more information, please visit our website at www.protectbearbutte.com or contact me directly at tamra@protectsacredsites.org

Commission grants Glencoe liquor applications

2009-06-18T18:45:00.000-06:00

Commission grants Glencoe liquor applications

License transfer passes on narrow margin
By Jason Gross, Meade County Times-Tribune staff | Thursday, June 18, 2009

STURGIS -- Meade County commissioners narrowly approved ownership transfer of beer and liquor licenses for a popular Sturgis motorcycle rally site Wednesday afternoon.

Approval of the liquor license gives Glencoe Entertainment LLC the authority to sell on Sundays. That license was transferred from Glencoe CampResort and Rock'N the Rally, a campground and amphitheater east of Sturgis.

Commissioners voted 3-2 to support the motions. Dayle Hammock, Robert Mallow and Gary Cammack favored the transfer. Alan Aker and Doreen Allison-Creed cast dissenting votes.

Aker said he opposed the licenses because some of the land encompassed in the use area is classified as agricultural. He cited the conflicts of commercial use in a designated agriculture setting at an earlier meeting.

"I had some people support the position I gave last time," Aker added. "Nobody tried to change my mind."

Aker earlier this month also expressed concern that the alcohol licenses covered 492 acres. He said he reconsidered and decided that approved applicants should be able to determine their business operations and that an entire property should be considered licensed as a bar.

Cammack said that the business already exists, and it does the same thing every year. He said that made the process straightforward for him.

"We were considering a transfer of a license," Cammack said, explaining his vote. "The considerations are character and location."

County personnel conducted background checks and did not report anything that merited blocking the new applicants from taking over the operation, he said.

Michelle Lamphere manages Glencoe's bar operation and said the food stand, pavilion and nearby patio will serve as on-site sale points. She said that an internal security and management plan will be implemented, and customer identifications will be checked.

In a separate application, the commission granted the retail on-off sale malt beverage application for Daly LLC & Hide Away Lounge near Sturgis.

Action on the license was tabled earlier this month because the business had not paid county property taxes. Auditor Lisa Schieffer said the taxes were paid June 8.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/06/18/news/local/doc4a39ce42aa044398015452.txt?show_comments=true#commentdiv

Commission delays action on Glencoe Camp Resort liquor license transfer

2009-06-04T18:54:00.001-06:00

Commission delays action on Glencoe Camp Resort liquor license transfer

By Jason Gross, Meade County Times Tribune staff | Thursday, June 04, 2009

STURGIS – Meade County commissioners granted one license transfer request and tabled a second during the annual application hearing Tuesday.

Commissioners granted a retail on-sale liquor license transfer from Hagg Brothers LLC Sawtooth Campground to Monkey Rock USA LLC. Monkey Rock is classified as commercial property and covers 19 acres inside the Thunderdome.

Glencoe Camp Resort and Rock’N the Rally applied for transfer of a retail on-sale liquor license with Sunday sales to Glencoe Entertainment LLC. That was tabled until June 17, along with an on-off malt beverage application.

Several speakers opposed the Glencoe request. Meade County resident Tamra Brennan said the facility’s proximity to Bear Butte is a definite issue. She added that noise, pyrotechnics and traffic at Glencoe caused absolute chaos at the butte last year.

“It has been considered sacred and a church for thousands of years,” Brennan said of the butte. Most of the other opposition centered on Glencoe’s proximity to the mountain.

Andrew Iron Shell said he’s certain intoxicated people aren’t running outside other people’s churches and littering the ground. “I’m sure if it was like that, you’d be offended,” he added. “You wouldn’t want your children to see those things.” He favors a five-mile buffer zone.

Commissioners Alan Aker and Doreen Allison-Creed voiced concern about the 492 acres the license would cover. They said they don’t appreciate that some of the property is ag-classified.

Aker explained the county incurs many expenses from alcohol consequences. “The only way we have of paying those expenses is our property tax payments,” he said. Aker added it’s reasonable to expect licenses to occur on commercial land.

Allison-Creed added places like Full Throttle Saloon and portions of Buffalo Chip Campground are on non-ag property. She considers that unfair and said some malt beverage license holders have nearly all their property classified as ag.

Co-chairman Dayle Hammock said the commission does not have the option to consider ag land versus non-ag land. Aker contended location on ag land is part of a liquor license applicant’s location criteria.

Allison-Creed said the county needs to change its law and adopt ordinances concerning liquor and malt beverage sales just like municipalities do. “We need some change at the state level.”

Commissioners also voted to approve the rest of the malt beverage license applications.

Allison-Creed voted for all applications for what she said will be the last time. She added she will oppose them in the future if the property is not commercial.

Her vote was based partly on this time being very close to the rally. Allison-Creed said the sizes of some applicants’ properties need to be condensed.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/06/04/news/local/doc4a283b4a1287e766161466.txt

Sacred Sites -vs- A Modern Day Disease, Greed

2009-05-25T19:23:00.000-06:00

Press Release

May 24, 2009

Sacred Sites –vs- A Modern Day Disease, Greed
“Our Sacred Ground is Not Your Playground”
By Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation

Bear Butte is a sacred site located in the Black Hills, eight miles east of Sturgis South Dakota.

The mountain is sacred to many of the Plains Tribes, including Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, Northern and Southern Cheyenne, Northern and Southern Arapaho. For thousands of years, Tribes have traveled up to hundreds of miles to Bear Butte for their annual ceremonies. Many people today still make their annual journeys to the mountain, from May through August.

Unfortunately, the ongoing struggle to Protect Bear Butte, against the continual encroachment and desecration caused by Sturgis Bike Rally venues, continues today. We have been battling these venues near Bear Butte since 2006. These large biker bars and concert venues continue to expand with further development, hosting huge concerts, bringing tens of thousands of people, vehicles and motorcycles towards Bear Butte.

During the August 2008 Sturgis Rally, Glencoe Campground’s, Rock’n the Rally venue located on Hwy 79 one mile south of Bear Butte, hosted the group KISS bringing absolute chaos to the area. Seven miles and three hours of gridlocked traffic, all headed towards Bear Butte. The same day, Buffalo Chip located off of Hwy 34 & 79, hosted Senator McCain and Kid Rock, multiplying to the chaos. Long time local residents stated they had never seen anything like this before, the worse traffic and chaos they had ever seen out this way.

The following day after the huge concert, a tornado warning swept thru Sturgis causing severe hail and thunderstorms. It was one of the worst thunderstorms in many years, right in the middle of the Sturgis Rally. Two people were actually struck by lightning at Glencoe Campground during this storm. The very campground, that caused all the chaos the previous day, next to Bear Butte. Coincidence, or a clear message from the Creator, you be the judge.

In December 2008, the virtual 600 acre bar, Glencoe Campground and Rock’n the Rally were sold to non residents Sean Clark and Devorah Lopez from California and Arizona, for a reported $8.4 million dollars. There are serious character issues with these individuals, which will be disclosed during the upcoming June 2nd hearing at Meade County Commissioners.

Another attack against the mountain during the 2008 Sturgis Rally, were helicopter flights from four separate Rally venues adjacent to Bear Butte, including Broken Spoke Campground, Buffalo Chip, Ride N Rest Campground and Lamphere Ranch.

In June 2008, Target Logistics, the new owners of Broken Spoke Campground, in their tenacity were quoted in the Rapid City Journal regarding the helicopter rides, stating "If someone asks to fly over Bear Butte, we'd take them unless it's not allowed." After several months of battling against it, publicly opposing the issue with our media campaign, working with FAA, and during the Rally physically being on the ground talking with these pilots, we were able to put a stop to flights over the mountain. After a huge fight regarding this issue, Broken Spoke finally stated they would not be flying over the mountain, and their helicopter pilot never showed up during the Rally. Three of the venues continued to offer flights, the pilots agreed to stay away from flying over the mountain.

The desecration from these venues worsens each year, with what they bring to the sacred mountain, Bear Butte. The disrespect is evidenced with loud music heard for miles, huge concerts, strobe lights, helicopters, motorcycle traffic, pyrotechnic firework shows, lude behavior, drunkenness and a half a million people, within less than a few miles of one of this nation’s most sacred places, Bear Butte.

People often ask, how can they get away with this and why isn’t the local governments doing anything about it? The simple answer is called greed, it is yet another sign of the times, a modern day disease that has consumed people. It continues to feed upon today’s money hungry corporate America, and a local county that refuses to take a stand to protect a sacred site and historical landmark. The bottom line is the tourism, promoting the Rally and adult entertainment in these venues, supersedes any Native American religious beliefs, our spirituality, the sacredness and tranquility of the mountain.

Laws were created and are in place to protect our religious rights, Including, The American Indian Freedom of Religion Act of 1978, Executive Order 13007
Protection and Accommodation of access to Indian Sacred Sites, and Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act of 1993, these laws are continually violated by the decisions made by the Meade County Commissioners and these venues.

In last years Meade County Commissioners hearing, I proposed a question asking for clarification on the Commissioners definitions of a “church.” Commissioner Robert Mallow responded to my questioning, stating that Bear Butte is NOT considered a “church” under their definition, that he was not going to debate religion with me.

Thousands of years of Tribal Nations coming here to pray, to fast, for healing and for guidance apparently doesn’t met their standards for classifying the mountain as a church. These statements were not only insulting, but demoralizing to an entire people’s spirituality and belief system.

As a local resident, I wonder what desecration the mountain will be subjected to this year, praying there will be a way to stop it. We have to continue to speak out and oppose what is occurring at all of our sacred places, if we sit back and accept the destruction, our way of life will fade away in a memory long so forgotten.

There have been many ups and downs in this issue, with many losses, but also a few victories. Each year there has been progress in these efforts, creating awareness for the issue, gaining support from across the country especially within the biker communities. The word is reaching out to the bikers about our plight to Protect Bear Butte, thru our ongoing efforts with the Bikers for Bear Butte campaign, which has been very successful thus far. Last year, we found that the bikers themselves were discussing the issue and helping us spread the word in a positive way, about the protection efforts. Education is a critical tool in order to help make a difference.

Many people, Native and non Native attend the Rally to participate in the events, we respectfully ask everyone to please remember the plight, to Protect Bear Butte and not endorse, patronize and participate in these venues surrounding Bear Butte. No matter how much you may want to see your favorite bands playing at these Rally venues, please remember these concerts surrounding Bear Butte are violating the sacred mountain! Help us take a stand against these Rally venues that continue to disrespect Bear Butte and its spiritual and historical significance.

We would like to ask each and every one of you, to assist us with the Protect Bear Butte struggle by helping spread the word!
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation is a grass roots organization, working towards the protection of sacred sites across the country. Our organization has been actively involved with the ongoing struggle to Protect Bear Butte for many years. Our organization is currently leading the campaign regarding opposing the new developments and further expansions at Bear Butte.

Visit our main website at www.protectsacredsites.org and our dedicated website for the Bear Butte struggle at www.protectbearbutte.com .

Action Alert! and Upcoming Hearing June 2nd

2009-05-25T13:17:00.000-06:00

Action Alert and Upcoming Hearing!

On June 2nd at 3:00 pm the Meade County Commissioners will be meeting regarding the issuance of new liquor licenses, renewals and transfers for Sturgis Rally Venues. Please attend to oppose in person, if you are able!

New License - The new owners of Glencoe Campground and Rock’N the Rally have applied for a new malt beverage license and a transfer of the existing retail on-sale Liquor license.

Transfer - A transfer of Retail on-sale Liquor from Sawtooth Campground to Monkey Rock USA, for the Thunderdome Venue.

Renewals - Other large venues surrounding Bear Butte, also up for renewal are Broken Spoke Campground, Buffalo Chip and Full Throttle.

Please send an opposition letter to the Meade County Commissioners asking them to deny the new licenses, transfers and renewals for all venues surrounding Bear Butte.

Please keep in mind that the only basis the Commissioners will consider for denying a license include, “location” and “character.” When sending your letters, please use one or both of these basis to support your opposition letter. Otherwise it may not be considered. Please be respectful in your letters! We do not want to reinforce their negative attitudes and behavior towards Native people and this issue. We always stay professional and respectful in our letter writing campaigns; remember this is fighting for the protection of a sacred site.

Suggested headings for your letters:

The application should be denied on the basis that the applicants are not suitable characters to hold a beer and/or liquor license as proposed.

The new Malt Beverage license application, transfers and renewals should be denied because the locations are not suitable.

Also, please remember to clearly state that you oppose the licenses, include the date, your full name and address. If you need a sample letter, please visit our website www.protectbearbutte.com and blog www.bearbutte.blogspot.com for sample letters from previous years.

Letters are due by June 1st at 3:00 pm.

You can email, snail mail or fax letters to

Meade County Commissioners1425 W. Sherman St.Sturgis S.D. 57785(605) 347-2360 (Phone)(605) 347-5925 (Fax)Email the letters directly to meade@meadecounty.org

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at Tamra@protectsacredsites.org

Thank you for your continued support for the efforts to Protect Bear Butte!

Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation is a grass roots organization, working towards the protection of sacred sites across the country. Our organization has been actively involved with the ongoing struggle to Protect Bear Butte for many years. Our organization is currently leading the campaign regarding opposing the new developments and further expansions at Bear Butte.
Visit our main website at www.protectsacredsites.org and our dedicated website for the Bear Butte struggle at www.protectbearbutte.com

Meade County Commission rejects Sturgis annexation proposal

2009-04-29T18:46:00.000-06:00

Meade County Commission rejects Sturgis annexation proposal
By Jason Gross, Meade County Times-Tribune | Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Meade County Commissioners unanimously rejected Sturgis’ annexation resolution Monday morning.

This matter now reverts back to the city, according to commission chairman Robert Mallow. “The city determines if they want to make those changes we submit.”

Property belonging to the Bureau of Land Management, Meade School District, and Fort Meade; agricultural land; and various commercial properties, including Glencoe CampResort and Full Throttle Saloon, are included in the city’s proposal.

When the city turns in its amended plan, Mallow said, the county will act on it. “What they put into it will determine whether we vote yes or no.”

Meade County Deputy State’s Attorney Ken Chleborad said the city cannot approve the resolution, in whole or in part, until the county does.

Linda Burnham and her husband, Tom, who own Valley Implement, oppose annexation. She said the farm equipment dealership has generated millions of dollars to local banks in the past 30 years.

“The city is proposing to our neighbors in the city that everyone’s taxes will go down,” Burnham added. She said the city bases that on sales tax revenue coming from that area.

South Dakota law changed two years ago, according to Burnham. She said the law now states there is no sales tax on any farm services or parts, including trucking and labor.

“There is a state sales tax of 4 percent on farm equipment,” Burnham said. “But that tax does not apply to the city.” Because of this, she added, the city will gain virtually nothing from Valley Implement.

Should annexation succeed, Burnham continued, the business will incur higher taxes which it may need to pass to its customers.

“In turn, it’s just going to be another burden on our farming community,” Burnham said. “Agricultural is still our no. 1 industry in this area, I believe -- not the rally.”

Several pieces of property in that area were presented to the board Monday, along with classifications and platting status. Chleborad presented the state’s attorney opinion on whether the property was properly placed before the board.

“We don’t have any say on anything that’s been platted and commercial,” Mallow said of the county. “If it’s unplatted or agricultural, then we have to address it.”

Commissioners conducted a poll on each property piece among themselves. They based their nonbinding votes on available information and public comment.

“The poll is to advise the city,” Chleborad explained. “If they (the city) choose to do any revisions to their annexation plan, it gives them a feeling of what the commissioners may do in the future.”

Rally venues were among those appearing before the board. Mike Ballard owns Full Throttle Saloon, which is commercial and platted. It was, therefore, not subject to board consideration.

Ross Lamphere, who ranches and owns a campground, has unplatted land. Some is classified as ag, and some is commercial.

Commissioners took a poll on Lamphere’s land and voted no by a 5-0 margin. This means all five thought the land should not be included in further annexation efforts. A poll on Burnham Family LLC also yielded a 5-0 no vote.

Some of the Glencoe CampResort property is platted and commercial; other land is commercial and ag. Those first two pieces are not subject to board consideration. The pavilion area is platted and not classified as ag, so the board could consider it. Board members voted no by a 3-2 count.

Sturgis city manager David Boone said the city will use public feedback and commissioner comments to try improving the study.

“Ultimately, it’s going to be the council’s decision on how to proceed,” Boone explained. “We’ll lay out some alternatives for them and go from there.”

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/29/news/local/doc49f631e3b17db818930499.txt?show_comments=true#commentdiv

Bear Butte forum calls for understanding

2009-04-26T07:31:00.000-06:00

Bear Butte forum calls for understanding
By Jason Gross, Meade County Times-Tribune staff Sunday, April 26, 2009

STURGIS -- People who consider Bear Butte a sacred site met for three hours Saturday morning to share their views on issues they fear could damage the peaceful atmosphere there and the use of the park as a place of worship for Native Americans.

One of those is the Meade County fire ban, imposed each July during the Sturgis motorcycle rally. Bear Butte State Park Manager Jim Jandreau explained that no campfires are allowed because of potential wildfire danger.

Ceremonial rites are affected, according to Jandreau. He encouraged those concerned to visit with fire officials, Game, Fish & Parks personnel and others about the issue.

"The intent was a safety factor," Jandreau said of the yearly ban. "It has nothing to do with our spirituality or ceremonial ways."

Janet Clairmont said she will address the Meade County Commission on Wednesday, May 6. She will make a request for Bear Butte Lodge fire pit approval, according to the meeting agenda.

A proposed annexation of land east of Sturgis is also a concern.

Uma Black Crow Wilkinson, who said protection of Bear Butte's land and water are important to her, said not many people are aware of the proposal and called for more meetings about that and other issues surrounding the butte.

Area rancher Ross Lamphere addressed that annexation, saying if the effort succeeds, city limits will be about 1/4-mile north of Bear Butte Creek along S.D. Highway 79.

Lamphere estimates that boundary would be less than 3 miles from Bear Butte, and said the city, through state statute, will have jurisdiction for platting purposes.

At least four parcels around the butte are for sale. Meeting attendee Nancy Hilding said one of those, the Grubl property, occupies 120 acres and has been on sale for two or three years.

"Most of the legislators were receptive to purchase of land," Sen. Jim Bradford, R-Pine Ridge, said, referring to efforts to have the state buy some of the land to create a buffer zone. He said some state funds could be available because the state received some stimulus funding.

Bradford emphasized he attended the meeting to get the people's perspective. "The legislators are ready," he said. "They know they want to do something."

Native people need to be in a primary consultation role for butte use and management, Black Crow Wilkinson said. She said Natives are consulted but need to be in more of a leadership role.

"The sacredness of that site should probably be considered above and beyond any recreational use," Black Crow Wilkinson said.

Bear Butte is one of seven Black Hills sites sacred to the Lakota, elder Marie Randall said.

Randall called for understanding about how people can work together. "We need to learn to do more sharing than controlling," Randall said.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/26/news/local/doc49f3eb8c52743683964578.txt

Annual Bear Butte Forum April 25th in Sturgis

2009-04-14T15:26:00.000-06:00

Department of Game, Fish and Parks
Foss Building
523 East Capitol
Pierre, SD 57501-3182

March 31,2009

Invitation to the Bear Butte Forum

The next meeting of the Bear Butte Forum is scheduled for Saturday, April, 25 from 8:30 a.m. to noon MST. The Forum will meet at the Sturgis Community Center located at 1401 Lazelle Street in Sturgis, South Dakota. Participants are responsible to make their own lodging and meal arrangements.

The Forum is an opportunity to get an update about Bear Butte and to share ideas for improvements. Each year the hope is that every tribe that has a spiritual connection to the mountain be represented at the Forum. This meeting is open to the public. Please invite others you think would like to attend.

Tentative Agenda

Introductions Visitation at Bear Butte Discussion Items

Land sales around the mountain

Status of Proposed Easement

Fire ban Discussion

We welcome any other concerns about Bear Butte

Annexation, liquor stores among issues at hearings

2009-04-10T19:50:00.001-06:00

Annexation, liquor stores among issues at hearings
Full Throttle seeks Meade County off-sale license
By Jason Gross, Meade County Times-Tribune | Friday, April 10, 2009

Expansion of Sturgis city limits east to S.D. Highway 79 could create liquor store sales competition involving the city of Sturgis and the Full Throttle Saloon & Campground.

The city operates the only liquor store in town, and its revenues supplement municipal property and sales taxes. The privately-owned Full Throttle motorcycle operation has gained popularity as "the world's largest biker bar."

The Sturgis City Council will hold a 6:30 p.m. April 20 public hearing at city hall about its annexation plan. The area encompasses the Full Throttle, the Glencoe CampResort rally concert campground, various other commercial operations, agriculture land and properties belonging to the Bureau of Land Management, Meade School District and Fort Meade Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The Meade County Commission will hold its hearing on the proposed annexation at 8:30 a.m. April 27, in the courthouse’s community room.

The commission also has scheduled a 3:30 p.m. May 5 hearing on Full Throttle's off-sale liquor license application. County deputy state's attorney Ken Chleborad said the location and potential conflict with the Sturgis ordinance are among issues the board will consider.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/10/news/local/doc49de35f1daae2136638431.txt

Bear Butte Mountain: A beautiful, sacred site in South Dakota

2009-04-07T20:35:00.001-06:00

Bear Butte Mountain: A beautiful, sacred site in South Dakota
By Vincent Schilling, Today correspondent
Story Published: Apr 7, 2009

Story Updated: Apr 3, 2009

STURGIS, S.D. – Just outside Sturgis is the Sacred Mato Paha or Bear Butte Mountain. Bear Butte, a 4,426-foot mountain, rests on the northernmost part of the Black Hills. It has been a sacred site to the Northern Plains Indians for thousands of years.

Today, Bear Butte Mountain attracts visitors from all over the world. Bear Butte is still a place for traditional American Indian ceremonies. When hiking up the mountain on designated trails, it’s common to see trees bestowed with sacred tobacco offerings wrapped in colorful cloth as representations of prayers to the Creator.

According to a Lakota story, long ago a giant bear and a water monster similar to a dinosaur, battled for many days and nights. Because of the fierce battle, valleys filled with blood. The giant bear was wounded by the sea monster’s jagged teeth and the bear crawled away to die. The ground erupted, darkness covered the earth, and fire, ashes, water and mud went into the sky.

“You cannot take away the spirituality of this mountain, which is its true draw. That is its true magnificence. For everybody that comes here, I believe it is different. No two people that come here have the same experience.”

-- Jim Jandreau, Bear Butte Park manager

The story continues with the bear’s body disappearing, and in place of the bear was a hill in the shape of the bear’s sleeping body which continued to rumble and smolder.

To the native Lakota, Bear Butte has long been a place to hold council meetings and ceremonies such as vision quests and Sun dances. In the mid-1800s the father of Crazy Horse, a great holy man, climbed Bear Butte to seek spiritual guidance on a vision quest.

It has been said that Wakantanka appeared before the holy man in the form of a bear and gave him power to overcome obstacles and defeat his enemies. Crazy Horse’s father asked that the same gifts also be given to his son. After this bestowment, the mountain was known as Bear Butte or Mata Paha.

The history of Bear Butte is rich, as well as literal, artifacts dating back 10,000 years have been discovered near it. Tipi rings have been found along Bear Butte’s perimeter, as well as rocks the Sioux once placed along the mountain’s summit to establish claims to the land, to mark distance
or to offer prayers.

Many note a profound spiritual connection when visiting the site.

Jim Jandreau, who was born and raised on the Lower Brule Sioux in South Dakota is the first American Indian park manager at Bear Butte State park. Jandreau admits that although the sites of Bear Butte are majestic, the profound connection to spiritual matters are much more prevalent.

“You cannot take away the spirituality of this mountain, which is its true draw. That is its true magnificence. For everybody that comes here, I believe it is different. No two people that come here have the same experience.”

Jandreau said Bear Butte is open to anyone who wishes to visit.

“The medicine men that practice here and bring their people here to worship will all tell you that this mountain is not exclusive to only Indian people praying. Anybody who comes in the right mind and the right heart with prayer on their lips, with humbleness is welcome. When you go to that area with that humbleness then we are all truly equal.”

Bear Butte has long been the subject of preserving sacred sites by American Indian artists. Award-winning American Indian musician Michael Bucher, Cherokee, whose song off his “Seven” album entitled “Dirty Water” fights for the preservation of the site.

“I went to Bear Butte Mountain and climbed along the trails to look at the view and to feel the sanctity of the place. You can see buffalo at the base of Bear Butte and see prayer flags all over the trees. They are tobacco cloth offerings. Some of the multi-colored ribbons are old and faded and some of the flags are on trees that have been uprooted by the weather. It all adds to the holiness of the place that so many prayers for hundreds of years have been prayed there,”
Bucher said.

Both Bucher and Jandreau said that though visitors may go for the simple beauty of Bear Butte or to hike the trails that were once traversed by Indian people so many years ago, visitors leave with much more than they may have anticipated.

“Everyone that comes off this mountain, it doesn’t matter if they are Indian or non-Indian or what tribe they are from, when they come away from this mountain, and go to see that medicine man interpreter about their vision, none of them will ever be the same,” Jandreau said. “People who come here are changed spiritually and morally. They may not know it when they drive out of the gate, but that stays with them.”

Grass roots group disappointed with ruling

2008-12-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

Grass roots group disappointed with ruling
By Babette Herrmann, Today correspondent

Story Published: Dec 11, 2008

STURGIS, S.D. – Meade County Planning Commission granted an on-sale liquor license to owners of the Broken Spoke Saloon Dec. 3. Prior to this approval, the commission granted the owners an off-sale license to sell alcohol to those on the go. The saloon is within the boundaries of the 600-acre Broken Spoke Campground located off Highway 79 in Sturgis.

But the approval came as a disappointment to supporters of Protect Bear Butte, a grass roots organization spearheaded by local resident Tamra Brennan. The group has fought to protect Bear Butte State Park from what they perceive as encroaching development and disrespectful activities near this location held sacred to Plains Indians since time immemorial.

Revelers of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, held in August, generate most of Broken Spoke’s primary source of income. Located about one mile from the border Bear Butte, the campground, hosts concerts and variety shows during the rally – and those that oppose liquor sales say this campground – and others like it – threatens the sanctity of Bear Butte.

About 25 people showed up to the late afternoon hearing. Brennan, Eastern Cherokee, said that now the commission has approved the sale of alcohol, it will only fuel the already unwanted noise, lights and raucous behavior during the rally and other biker-oriented events.

“We have been opposing this for three years now, and [the commission] never seem to listen to what we have to say on the issue, she said. “They approve without fail, so it’s actually no surprise that they approved it again.”

Located on the northeast edge of the Black Hills, Bear Butte’s elevation of 4,422 feet was formed millions of years ago by intrusions of igneous rock – creating a majestic loner flanked by golden plains. Natives gather there for ceremonies and send individuals on vision quests. Many more come to pray and leave offerings.

During the meeting one of the seven individuals that spoke in opposition to the license requested a one-mile buffer zone around the mountain, but was quickly rebuffed by Commissioner Chair Robert Mallow.

“I think that whenever you put a barrier around something, you’re taking the livelihood away from some of the occupants,” he said. “And I think you’re taking their right away.”

Commissioners said that they had no grounds to deny the private property rights of Broken Spoke, especially since the bar was nowhere near homes, an apartment building with small children, or across from a church.

Brennan responded by saying that Bear Butte “has been our church for thousands of years.”

Jim Seward, an attorney representing Broken Spoke, said that Brennan’s residence was within one mile of the “church” and that if his clients are in violation, so is Brennan.

“If there was a one mile protective buffer zone around Bear Butte, I expect that the sheriff, or someone, would have to go out and remove Miss Brennan from that one mile protection zone because she lives inside the church; and, I think with that comment she should understand the ridiculous nature of taking away somebody’s private property right,” he said.

In a separate interview, Brennan said that the campground serves as a front for “adult entertainment” activities during the rally, featuring activities such as wet T-shirt contests – something commissioners should have addressed prior to their vote.

Meanwhile, Brennan said that she and supporters plan on seeking legal action to further protect Bear Butte.

And she expects her organization’s release of the documentary “On Sacred Ground” by early next year to further increase public awareness on the importance of protecting and preserving Bear Butte State Park.

For more information visit: www.protectbearbutte.com and/or www.protectsacredsites.com.

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/plains/35975974.html

Update regarding Bear Butte, Meade County Commissioners Hearing today.

2008-12-04T10:17:00.001-07:00

December 3, 2008

Update regarding Bear Butte, Meade County Commissioners Hearing today.
from: Tamra Brennan - Protect Sacred Sites, Indigenous People One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org

First of all, I would like to thank everyone that took a moment to send in their opposition letters to the Meade County Commissioners, opposing these venues surrounding Bear Butte.

Well, it comes as no surprise, the Meade County Commissioners unanimously approved all of the liquor license renewals at today's hearing. Seven people provided oppositions against the venues surrounding Bear Butte. Testimonies requested for the Commissioners and Rally venues to respect Bear Butte as a sacred place, as our church. Requesting a buffer zone around Bear Butte to protect the mountain, as a sacred place. Requesting that these venues take responsibility for their actions, as what they really are, "adult entertainment venues."

During my opposition testimony, I specifically requested for the Meade County Commissioners to explain in detail the criteria they use, to determine "location" and "character," as these are the only two issues that could potentially deny or revoke a liquor license. As many of you may remember, Jay Allen had his liquor license revoked twice in 2007, due to "lack of character" issue. This was based upon the fact, that he failed to pay the local contractors for work completed on Broken Spoke Campground bar. On repeated occasions, Commissioner Wink publicly stated that he felt that these venues were far enough away, that location was not a issue. When I questioned if this was the case, why were venues directly at the base of Bear Butte also approved for liquor licenses. What was the distance criteria? The Commissions response was, "if the location was near homes, a apartment building with small children, or if it was across from a church." My immediate response was these venues ARE across from a church, Bear Butte is our church and has been for thousands of years. The Commission's response was, we will not get into a discussion about religion, so they completely disregarded the question.

Jim Seward, the attorney for Broken Spoke Campground made some appalling and extremely disrespectful statements in regards to all seven testimonies and oppositions. His comments completely disregarded all of our testimonies, as if they were irrelevant or absurd. He stated "that there is no evidence in the record today, there has been no evidence offered or admitted into the record to support the denial of any of these licenses. If there was a one mile buffer zone around Bear Butte, I would expect that the sheriff would have to also remove Ms. Brennan from that one mile protection zone, as she lives inside the church. I think with that comment, she should understand the ridiculous nature of someone taking away someone's private property rights, that is what we would be doing if we were so rude to say that she should move from the base of the mountain, because I want a one mile buffer zone around Bear Butte"

The irony in this statement is apparently Mr. Seward is not familiar with the history of the Black Hills, the broken treaties and the fact to this day, it is still STOLEN LAND! The reality is, they have no property rights, the Fort Laramie Treaty still applies today. They are trespassing. Besides the fact, "in their ridiculous nature" taking away property rights, is exactly what they did to the Indigenous People of Turtle Island.

In addition to the liquor license hearing today, the Commissioners held a special meeting for public comments at 3pm, regarding the four applicants that are candidates to replace Commissioner Dean Wink. Tomorrow they will be officially interviewing the applicants and making a decision after the interviews. One of the applicants, Fred McPherson is a life long well respected local resident, of the Bear Butte district and has stood beside us supporting the cause from the beginning. Several of us, gave our supportive comments to the Commissioners on his behalf. If he is selected tomorrow, this will be a huge step forward for the cause! Keep praying that he is selected at tomorrow's meeting!

Here is a article from KEVN, they were in attendance today

The battle to keep Bear Butte a sacred place, free of alcohol, continues. The Meade County Commission Wednesday voted to renew several liquor licenses for businesses near Bear Butte. But not without a fight from some residents who strongly oppose bars doing business in that area. Many Native Americans consider Bear Butte a sacred site and people who don't want bars located in that area turned out in force again at Wednesday's hearing to voice their opposition. The commissioners said they had no choice but to renew the licenses. They say they could deny a license renewal only in a case in which the business is in poor standing with the county. At Wednesday's hearing, one opponent suggested putting a one-mile barrier around Bear Butte. Commission chair Robert Mallow said - as long as the current group of commissioners is on the board - that won't happen. Robert Mallow says, "I think that whenever you put a barrier around something, you're taking the livelihood away from some of the occupants. And I think you're taking their right away." Opponent Tamara Brennan says she was not surprised by Wednesday's ruling because the commissioners vote this way every time. What upset her most, she says, were comments from an attorney for the Broken Spoke - one of the businesses near Bear Butte. Tamara Brennan says, "He said that I would have to move as well because that would be in the one mile buffer. I'm not the one who is having wild parties and doing strobe lights and helicopters over the mountain. I pray there everyday so there's a big difference between them and myself." Meade County Commissioner Dean Wink resigned from the board Wednesday after winning a seat in the state legislature last month. The commissioners will interview and pick a candidate to fill Wink's position Thursday. Opponents at Wednesday's hearing hope the new commissioner will be more sensitive to their requests. http://www.kevn.com/NewsStories.aspx?StoryID=14340

I am attaching two audio files from Jim Seward's statement above.

Thank you for your continued support for the protection of Bear Butte! For additional information about the ongoing efforts to Protect Bear Butte, please visit our website at www.protectbearbutte.com

Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation is a grass roots organization, working towards the protection of sacred sites across the country. Our organization has been actively involved with the ongoing struggle to Protect Bear Butte for several years. We are continuing these efforts, our organization is currently leading the campaign regarding the new developments and further expansions at Bear Butte. Please visit our main website at www.ProtectSacredSites.org and our dedicated website for Bear Butte at www.protectbearbutte.com

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at Tamra@protectsacredsites.org

Action Alert! Opposition Letters Needed for Protection of Bear Butte - time sensitive

2008-11-28T15:55:00.001-07:00

Please forward this email in it's entirety. Thank you.

Hello everyone,

It's that time again! The upcoming Meade County Commissioners hearing for the liquor license renewals around Bear Butte, will be held this coming Wednesday December 3rd at 4:00.

We are asking for folks to PLEASE send in opposition letters to the MCC. I have created a sample letter for folks to use, if they wish. You can use this letter, modify it or write your own, but please take a moment to send one in.

If you live in the area and are able to make the hearing, please join us! We are hoping to have alot of people attend to oppose in person as well.

Since we are on very limited time, please either email or fax your letters, the info is provided below.

The DEADLINE FOR LETTERS is Tuesday, December 2nd by 4:00 pm (mtn time).

In addition to the liquor license hearing, at 3pm (at the same location) The Meade County Commissioners will also having public comment and review of candidates to replace Dean Wink on the MCC seat for District 1, which is the Bear Butte District. Dean Wink successfully won the State Representative District #29 seat, in the November election and will be vacating his seat as Meade County Commissioner.

This is also a important meeting to attend, so we can voice our opinions and suggestions about the applicants. Normally this is a public vote position, however since it is in the middle of a cycle, the MCC will appoint a candidate.

When:

December 3rd

3pm - Public Comment for MCC District 1 seat
4pm - Liquor License Renewal Hearing

Where:
Meade County Commissioners
1425 W. Sherman St.
Sturgis S.D. 57785

(605) 347-2360 (Phone)
(605) 347-5925 (Fax)

Email the letters directly to

meade@meadecounty.org

Copy and paste the sample letter into a new email document. Please remember to add today's date and your personal contact info (full name and address) below the signature line. Thank you!

Sample Letter:

*begin

Add Today's Date: ____________

Attn: Meade County Auditor
Meade County Board of Commissioners
1425 Sherman Street
Sturgis, SD 67625

Via fax: 605-347-5925
via email: meade@meadecounty.org

Dear County Commissioners:

I oppose the annual on-sale & off sale liquor license renewal's for all Rally locations surrounding Bear Butte, including but not limited to, Broken Spoke Campground, Glencoe Campground/Rockin the Rally and Buffalo Chip.

The annual on-sale & Off sale liquor license renewal should be denied because the locations are not suitable.

Bear Butte is sacred land. There is extensive documentation of the spiritual and historical significance of Bear Butte to the area. Each summer for thousands of years, people have traveled hundreds of miles, to Bear Butte to worship and conduct their sacred ceremonies. People travel to Bear Butte for healing, guidance, spiritual renewal and to fast on the sacred mountain.

The Meade County Commissioners have arbitrarily decided location is not a issue, over the past three years. There is NO justification for this continual decision, the failure to take into account the Tribes repeated requests in regards to location, is not acceptable. Location IS a ISSUE for the people that continue to travel to Bear Butte to pray, and for the generations yet to come. This will never change and we will continue to oppose until the MCC realizes that location, is in fact, a issue.

This decision is a direct violation of the, American Indian Freedom of Religion Act of 1978, in addition to Executive Order 13007 Protection and Accommodation of Access to "Indian Sacred Sites" signed by President Clinton on May 24, 1996.

These large scale commercial developments invite noise and cumulative impacts of increased traffic and travel, which all stand to adversely impact the natural serenity and tranquility needed for cultural, ceremonial and other visitations to Bear Butte. They also negatively impact the experience of people who enjoy the spiritual, cultural, and natural resources at Bear Butte. Issues include, the unsuitability of this location, unacceptable noise and disturbance that this location continues to cause, to those who travel to Bear Butte who need solitude and serenity.

The application should be denied on the basis that the applicants are not suitable characters to hold license(s) as proposed.

On Monday, August 4th 2008 these venues created complete chaos with noise, helicopters and several hours of gridlock traffic from Interstate 90, through Sturgis onto Highway 79. Tens of thousands of people, traveled onto Highway 79 to attend these concerts being held at these locations on the same night, all directly next to, and effecting Bear Butte.

These venues fail to take into account local concerns of impacts to the spiritual, cultural, and natural resources at Bear Butte. Bear Butte is a place of prayer where the natural environment needs to be free from negative influences of alcohol that could affect religious beliefs and practices of those who travel to Bear Butte to pray.

I respectfully request for the Meade County Commissioners to DENY ALL of the liquor license renewals for the renewal's for all Rally locations surrounding Bear Butte, including but not limited to, Broken Spoke Campground, Glencoe Campground/Rockin the Rally and Buffalo Chip.

Sincerely,
PLEASE INSERT YOUR full legal name
and address here

*end

Thank you for your continued support for the protection of Bear Butte! For additional information about the ongoing efforts to Protect Bear Butte, please visit our website at www.protectbearbutte.com

Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation is a grass roots organization, working towards the protection of sacred sites across the country. Our organization has been actively involved with the ongoing struggle to Protect Bear Butte for several years. We are continuing these efforts, our organization is currently leading the campaign regarding the new developments and further expansions at Bear Butte. Please visit our main website at www.ProtectSacredSites.org and our dedicated website for Bear Butte at www.protectbearbutte.com

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at Tamra@protectsacredsites.org

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

PROTECT BEAR BUTTE!

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"......excerpt from One Nation, One Land, One People by Tamra Brennan, 2006

Meade commission OKs controversial liquor license

2008-10-08T16:34:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,

Well, its just more of the same, but we still made attempt. This hearing was held at a out of the ordinary timeframe, usually they are in December and June. It just came to our attention that the hearing was being held at the end of last week, so there was no time to put together a opposition letter writing campaign. They will have to re-apply again in December and June, so we will get a early start for the letter writing then.

This article is actually incorrect, there were four of us (all locals), that made oppositions at the hearing, not three. Sure wish that more folks would show up at these hearings to oppose, hopefully in December, we can get a better show of support!???? I see alot of posts on the comments section of RCJ, for this article, but nobody ever seems to show up to oppose in person.

There were two license issues held yesterday, a tranfer and a new license. All they are doing is shuffling corportations around. When asked about the status of the ownership transfer and Jay Allen's status, David Shoe, General Manager for Broken Spoke Campground stated that Corporate Officers of Target Logisitcs, Joe Murphy owns 10%, Bryan Lash owns 58%, Jay Allen owns 30% and David Shoe owns 2%. Jay Allens only involvement at this time is as a "promoter," he is in charge of the "entertainment." Shoe also stated that Broken Spoke Campground, LLC now owns everything.

We each opposed the location and charachter issue, the Meade County Commissoners refuse to acknowldege either as a issue. It was also brought up again, about the adult entertainment issue that occurs at these venues, that nobody in this county seems to acknowledge is happening.

Since the Commisoners continually state these venues do not effect Bear Butte. I brought up about the insanity that was brought out to Bear Butte with traffic and noise, with the three hours of gridlock traffic thru Sturgis, down Hwy 79 towards Bear Butte, that occured on the first day of the rally. That was brought by the KISS concert that occured at Glencoe, which is just one mile the opposite direction down hwy 79, and McCain being at the Chip, which is just off the junction of Hwy 79 & 34.

The Commissoners also continually state that the noise does not effect the mountain, that there are no issues with these venues and the lude behavior and disrespect they bring out to the mountain. We spent this summer filming it, which will released in our upcoming documentary "On Sacred Ground", which is for the protection of sacred sites, including Bear Butte. We got all the choas, noise, lude behavior and traffic all on film. I offered to show it to them to prove these things DO exist, but they blankly stared at me with no response....surprise, surprise.

Keep in mind that Broken Spoke has also stated that they will be opening year round effective in 2009. Shoe stated yesterday, they are a business and do what it takes to keep the business going. It could be various motorcycle events or something else, they would not committ to their intentions.

For more info about the ongoing efforts to Protect Bear Butte, please visit our website(s) at www.protectsacredsites.org and www.protectbearbutte.com

Thank you!
Tamra

Meade commission OKs controversial liquor license
By Jason Gross, Meade County Times Wednesday, October 08, 2008
2 comment(s) .

Meade County commissioners unanimously approved transfer of a retail on-off sale liquor license Tuesday afternoon to Broken Spoke Campground LLC. The board also approved a new retail on-off sale malt beverage license for the campground company, Bear Butte Sunsets LLC Sturgis County Line LLC.

The 600-acre campground and saloon has operated during the Sturgis motorcycle rally in August. There are several other rally-related businesses in the S.D. Highway 79/34 area east of Sturgis.

Commissioners heard from three local residents who opposed the transfer and application. They focused on the establishments' proximity to Bear Butte, which many Native American tribes consider sacred, but others consider the state park scenic.

"By statute, we're limited to either approving or denying the transfer based on location and character," Commissioner Dean Wink said. He said the Broken Spoke's location, while controversial and much-discussed at previous hearings, is far enough away from Bear Butte to not interfere with spiritual rituals.

The Broken Spoke Campground itself is two miles from Bear Butte, and the company's property boundary is a mile from the landmark, company attorney Jim Seward said.

The overall operation is owned by Target Logistics of Boston. Wink said nothing in background checks on the company or its officers would keep the commissioners from granting approval.

Managing member David Schuh said he is one of four owners. He said that although former owner Jay Allen holds 30 percent ownership interest in the campground, he is not the managing member.

Seward told the commission that the liquor license transfer follows through on a promise that ownership would become centralized. He cited tax and business reasons that a limited liability corporation was needed.

"Obviously, we'll be back here in two months on our renewal, and back again and again," Seward said. "The county will always have the right to say no."

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/10/08/news/top/doc48ec40fac1b5f059691306.txt?show_comments=true#commentdiv

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Rounds disappointed with tone of opposition

2008-10-05T14:09:00.001-06:00

Rounds disappointed with tone of opposition
Seth Tupper , The Daily Republic
Published: 10/04/2008

Gov. Mike Rounds thinks antipathy toward American Indians may be complicating efforts to secure a protective easement near Bear Butte.

Rounds said in a recent phone interview with The Daily Republic that he has been disappointed by the tone of some of the opposition to the proposal.

“I don’t mind a good discussion about the economies or a discussion about the budget on a program or a discussion that’s based on whether or not it’s a good idea to protect parkland,” Rounds said. “But it really boiled down to, ‘You’re doing this for the Indians.’ And you know what? That kind of turns my stomach to have that become part of the debate.

“We shouldn’t be having a debate like that. We should be having a debate about whether or not this is good for South Dakotans in general, regardless of their race, and sometimes I think this has kind of turned a little bit in that respect.”

Rounds declined to identify the specific people or groups to which he attributed those attitudes.

Last winter, Rounds proposed spending $250,000 in state money to help fund an easement that would prevent development on land near Bear Butte, some of which already is protected by a state park designation. Legislators rejected the proposal, and some restated their opposition last week during a meeting of the Legislature’s Department of Game, Fish and Parks Review Committee.

When asked if he thinks racism is derailing the easement proposal, Rounds said “I don’t think there’s anybody in South Dakota that wouldn’t agree with the fact that racism still exists in South Dakota, and if we try to walk away and suggest that racism does not exist, we’re just hiding from it.”

“But once again, just because someone might disagree with my approach does not mean that they are a racist,” he continued. “There are folks that truly just believe the state shouldn’t buy more land, and I respect that. I disagree with it, but I respect it.”

http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/index_articles.cfm?id=29396&property_id=4

Alone on S.D. prairie, surrounded by controversy

2008-10-03T23:54:00.000-06:00

Alone on S.D. prairie, surrounded by controversy
Seth Tupper The Daily Republic
Published Saturday, October 04, 2008

If other mountains surrounded it, Bear Butte might not be remarkable.

But Bear Butte is not surrounded by mountains. It is surrounded, quite starkly, by the prairie. The incongruity of the butte has made it a landmark recognized for its beauty and, by some, for its spiritual value. Prayer cloths and tobacco pouches tied to trees are evidence of the spiritual ceremonies that American Indians still conduct there.

The blessing of Bear Butte’s geographic isolation is also something of a curse. Exposed as it is by the surrounding landscape, the butte is viewed by some as vulnerable to development fueled by the motorcycle rally that roars annually into Sturgis, less than 10 miles down the road.

BEAR BUTTE STANDS alone on the prairie just outside of Sturgis. The mountain is a popular site for tourists and American Indians who practice religion there, but also is being hemmed in by private ownership. A proposed easement could help reverse that, but it won’t likely be paid for with state money, despite suggestions from Gov. Mike Rounds to do so.
RELATED CONTENT
Seth Tupper Archive
Last winter, Gov. Mike Rounds suggested pairing $250,000 of state money with $344,000 in private donations and a $594,000 federal grant to purchase an easement on private land adjacent to Bear Butte State Park. His goal was preventing development near the mountain.

State legislators declined to provide an appropriation for the proposal, and it languished out of the public eye until last week’s meeting of the Legislature’s Department of Game, Fish and Parks Review Committee in Pierre.

Some legislators on that panel said the state should not be involved in holding or funding an easement at Bear Butte. No formal action was taken by the committee, but GF&P Secretary Jeff Vonk said later during an interview that the message was clear. He now sees no chance of securing state funding for an easement.

“I don’t expect that we’ll be asking for state funds,” Vonk said in reference to the next legislative session, which begins Jan. 13. “I think it’s really up to a question about whether there’s some other entity that wants to step forward and provide funding.”

Vonk said he is not currently in talks with any such entity. Potential candidates could include national and international organizations like The Conservation Fund or The Nature Conservancy, he said, or local or regional groups interested in protecting Bear Butte.

The onus, apparently, will be on individuals to prevail upon such groups.

“We’ve got it on our list of potential projects,” Vonk said, “but I can’t tell you we’re out spending a lot of time beating the bushes to find funding sources.”

Gov. Rounds said his approach to the issue will depend on the state budget, which so far is not looking good.

“The early indications are that I’m going to have to scrape real hard just to make ends meet,” Rounds told The Daily Republic. “At the same time, if someone comes up with a foundation or someone like that comes up with the funds, I’d still be very supportive of a well-written lease that would protect the beauty of that land.”

Private vs. public

Bear Butte, called Mato Paha by Lakota Sioux Indians, is so named because of its resemblance to a bear sleeping on its side. The butte is actually a mountain formed by an unexploded volcano.

The elevation of Bear Butte’s peak, which is accessible by a hiking trail, is 4,422 feet above sea level. A state park visitors’ center at the foot of the mountain attracts about 40,000 people annually, and a small herd of bison roams nearby. The Black Hills can be seen in the distance.

Maj. George A. “Sandy” Forsyth encountered the Butte from the south in 1874 during the return trip of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s Black Hills Expedition. Forsyth wrote that, “Compared with the hills in the range, it is a pigmy, being only 1,140 feet above the level of the plains; but, standing alone as it does, it looms up quite grandly, especially when first seen by parties approaching the hills on this side.”

Today, most of Bear Butte is state-owned and designated as a state park. Some of the surrounding area is tribally owned. A portion of the mountain itself, and the rest of the area immediately surrounding it, is privately owned.

If an easement were established on privately owned land near the Butte, the landowner would retain ownership and rights to use the land for agricultural purposes. As part of the easement agreement, the landowner could not allow the land to be developed for commercial or residential purposes.

The term of the easement would be indefinite. It would remain in effect until such time as the state no longer wants it, much in the way railroad easements remain in effect until the tracks are no longer utilized.

A question of focus

Some legislators oppose a state-involved easement near Bear Butte because they don’t want the state tying up privately owned land for future generations.

Rep. Thomas Brunner, R-Nisland, who said he can see Bear Butte from his home window, is one of those legislators. He said easements only restrict landowner rights and provide no real rights for the public, because the land cannot be hunted or otherwise used by visitors.

“It serves no benefit in my mind,” Brunner said at last week’s committee meeting, “but quite the opposite, it prevents any practical use of this land.”

Vonk and Gov. Rounds disagree. They think an easement would provide the benefit of a protected “viewshed” for visitors to Bear Butte State Park. An easement would also keep the land privately owned and avoid perceptions of a government land grab, Vonk said.

“I think we’re looking at this in more of a narrow focus,” he told the legislative committee last week, “and I think a bigger focus would generate the public benefit that’s intended.”

Rep. Brunner said that despite his objections regarding easements, his main objection is the state’s involvement. He acknowledged, apparently reluctantly, that he would not oppose a privately held and funded easement at Bear Butte.

Rounds said the reason for having state money and involvement in an easement is to protect the state’s interest in its park.

“If the state has some money in it, we can kind of lay out the terms as to how the easement might be put together,” Rounds said. “If you don’ t have the dollars in it, in many cases you’re kind of outside the discussion.”

Motivations

Another objection to state-involved easements at Bear Butte is grounded in the doctrine of the separation of church and state.

State Rep. Betty Olson, who hails from the remote, far-northwestern corner of the state, believes the state-involved easement proposal would unconstitutionally involve the state in a religious matter.

Article VI, Section 3 of the state constitution states that no preference shall be given by law “to any religious establishment or mode of worship. No money or property of the state shall be given or appropriated for the benefit of any sectarian or religious society or institution.”

“The sole reason for the easement,” Olson said in an interview this week, “is to protect the Indians’ right to worship on Bear Butte, and I don’t think that’s a legitimate use of taxpayer dollars.”

Vonk disagrees. He said the public, via state government, has a significant investment in Bear Butte and should protect that investment.

“We acknowledge certainly that Bear Butte is an important cultural area for American Indians,” Vonk said. “It’s also a state park, and our motivations are basically to provide protection to a public resource that all of our citizens have ownership in.”

Without legislative support, the protection of Bear Butte as a public resource may now be truly a responsibility of the public.

Vonk said the GF&P has scaled back its easement proposal and is focusing on a smaller piece of land on the mountain’s southwest side. The proposed easement area includes the chunk of the mountain that is not within the park boundaries, and some additional land stretching out to nearby state Highway 79. The landowner is agreeable to an easement, Vonk said, but is not willing to sell the property outright.

The parcel is about 250 acres, and the cost to purchase an easement on the land is estimated to be $350,000. Vonk believes some federal grant money will be available, but if the easement is going to be secured it will require private groups and citizens to raise money and possibly volunteer to hold the easement.

‘Some respect’

There are people who are working to protect Bear Butte, but their efforts could be described as loosely organized.

Among them is Tamra Brennan, who lives near Bear Butte and identifies herself as a Cherokee tribal member. She runs Protect Bear Butte, an offshoot of Protect Sacred Sites. Both organizations are grassroots in nature and lack official nonprofit status.

Protect Bear Butte’s activism has so far taken the form of public information campaigns. Group members e-mailed thousands of bikers prior to this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and handed out fliers at the event. The intent was to educate bikers about the sacred nature of the mountain.

“All we’re asking is if bikers come to the area, please use some respect,” Brennan said.

Brennan also has argued against development near Bear Butte, including plans for bars or other biker-focused businesses in the mountain’s immediate vicinity.

She and others fear, however, that the privately owned land around Bear Butte could be sold at any time and converted to any use.

“We could have another ‘World’s Largest Biker Bar’ directly across from Bear Butte, or even at the base of Bear Butte,” Brennan said.

Brennan said she has hiked to the top of Bear Butte many times. She thinks that if everybody involved in the debates about development around Bear Butte would take time to make the hike, the mountain would win them over.

“It’s a very powerful and spiritual place,” she said. “Anybody that doesn’t feel that, it just doesn’t make any sense.”

Rep. Olson, who opposed the easement, has been to the summit. She thinks the mountain is worth protecting, but said it is sufficiently protected by the park designation.

“There’s nobody who’s going to be digging a hole in the top of it or trying to tear it down or anything.”

http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/articles/index.cfm?id=29395§ion=news&freebie_check&CFID=96608354&CFTOKEN=40203313&jsessionid=8830deefb31e73446347

Bear Butte ~ State should stay away from easement

2008-10-03T09:10:00.001-06:00

State should stay away from easement
By the Journal Editorial Board Friday, October 03, 2008
State lawmakers made it clear last week they had no intention of providing state dollars to secure easements around the butte to deter development to the west.

Last year, Gov. Mike Rounds proposed providing $250,000 to buy an easement around the site to ensure a future without encroaching development.

Lawmakers said no. And they’re saying it again this year.

We can’t fault lawmakers for putting a halt to the state-sponsored easement idea this year. Funding an easement shouldn’t be high on the state’s priority list. This year, more so even than last year, money is scarce and the burden on taxpayers could quickly become too heavy a load.

Would taxpayers give the nod to this state spending at Bear Butte? We don’t think so.

Today the landowner has no interest in developing the land beyond its agricultural use and we see no need for the state to get involved with the easement at this point.

While the Native Americans are rightfully concerned about development around the sacred site, there is a better option. The Native Americans could purchase the land in question. If the owner isn’t interested in selling, surely a deal could be crafted to offer the tribes the first right of refusal should the owner decide to sell.

That simple deal would keep the state out of the purchase and still guarantee the Native Americans interested in the site would have some control over future development.

Beyond the financial aspect, however, there may be merit to the state taking an interest in Bear Butte. First, it’s a state park. The state should have an interest in the development (or in this case, lack of development) at the state parks. Secondly, Bear Butte is considered a sacred site to the Native Americans. That doesn’t obligate the state to act but it should be part of the conversation as the state considers the future of the area.

Considering that, the future development should be under the watch of the Meade County Commissioners. We’ve said it before – the commissioners need to step in with zoning to protect Bear Butte from encroaching commercial interests.

The state, however, can’t pick up where the county is falling short. Any state revenue directed to securing easements at Bear Butte this year would be money misspent.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/10/03/news/opinions/doc48e153f0baf67852163365.txt

Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association approves Bear Butte resolution

2008-09-23T18:37:00.000-06:00

Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association approves Bear Butte resolution
By Babette Herrmann, Today correspondent

Story Published: Sep 15, 2008

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Tamra Brennan, founder/director of the grass-roots organization Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation, has dedicated her life to protecting Bear Butte, known as Mato Paha to the Sioux, and countless other sacred sites across the nation.

One of her recent endeavors comprised of drawing up a draft resolution that entails guidelines for the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association to refer to in their quest to protect Bear Butte and sacred areas listed in the Fort Laramie treaties of 1851 and 1868.

Since time immemorial, Plains tribes have held vision quests and an array of ceremonies and rites of passages at Bear Butte, especially during the summer months. American Indian veterans have left prayer offerings in gratitude of their safe return. Numerous other Natives simply go there to pray.

The threat of encroaching development and the raucous annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally were the main reasons Brennan drew up the resolution, and just a couple of the reasons why the area needs watchdog groups such as Protect Sacred Sites and its subsidiary, Protect Bear Butte.

Brennan submitted the draft copy to GPTCA in June, which approved it in early July. It was the perfect organization to coalesce, as it consists of 16 tribal chairmen from the Great Plains, covering North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.

“This helps show people that tribes are in the loop and they are active in what’s going on in the protection of Bear Butte,” she said.

GPTCA Executive Director A. Gay Kingman said that some minor revisions were made and legal terminology added to the resolution to make it an official document for the organization to call upon when making decisions that directly impact Bear Butte.

Kingman, Cheyenne River Sioux, said the GPTCA was formed about 25 years ago (it was formerly known as the Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairman’s Association) and that each chairman shares the common bond of working together on issues that affect their people, including the protection of sacred sites.

When it comes to tribes working with state government on Native issues, Kingman said legislators need further education on the indigenous people of South Dakota. But she was impressed when Gov. Mike Rounds introduced legislation to establish a buffer zone around Bear Butte. The measure failed earlier this year, but it was the thought that counted.

“The tribes would have been supportive, but it was a five-mile buffer zone and it encroached upon the town of Sturgis,” she said. “I think if it could have been three or maybe even four miles, it would have been more acceptable.”

Meanwhile, Brennan and volunteers work on discouraging new development, while watching the actions of businesses that already exist. A total of 10 businesses encroach upon the site – consisting of bars and campgrounds – most of which were built within the past several years.

The Northern Cheyenne, Lower Brule and Rosebud Sioux tribes own land bordering Bear Butte and primarily utilize it for gatherings and ceremonies. Kingman said that other tribes within the region would like to buy up the remaining land, but they consider the asking prices exorbitant and unaffordable.

The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally wrapped up its 68th year in August. Each year, the event features concerts around the clock, and revelers crowd local bars, hotels and campgrounds. Sturgis is located about eight miles east of Bear Butte.

For the past three years, Brennan has made it a point to educate bikers before, during and after the motorcycle rally on the significance of Bear Butte and surrounding sacred sites as a part of the “Bikers for Bear Butte” campaign. This year, volunteers sent out flyers to more than 6,000 motorcycle clubs and dealers across the nation prior to the event.

“What we heard the last couple of years from the bikers is that they had no idea that this is a sacred site because no one ever told them,” she said. “When we were walking around and passing flyers out in town, we never got a single negative response.”

The biggest challenge came this year when she learned that four local campgrounds were going to offer helicopter rides. She was worried that pilots would fly over Bear Butte, so she garnered the support of the Federal Aviation Administration. Officials from the FAA met with helicopter pilots and instructed them not to fly over the site. Out of the four campgrounds, only three ended up offering the rides and just one flew over the mountain on an evening flight.

As for next year’s rally, Brennan, Eastern Cherokee, wants to host educational forums at a venue in Sturgis. “You have to reach out to everybody for the protection of these sites. You don’t want to alienate any particular kind of group.”

For more information, visit www.protectbearbutte.com and www.protectsacredsites.org.

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/plains/28417374.html

Lawmakers oppose easement at Bear Butte

2008-09-23T18:34:00.001-06:00

Sep 23 2008 6:33PM
Associated Press
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) Some South Dakota lawmakers say they continue to oppose any state involvement in a proposed easement that would protect the west side of Bear Butte from development.

During a legislative committee meeting in Pierre, Representative Thomas Brunner (BROO'-nur) of Nisland said he believes the Game, Fish and Parks Department should not be involved in any easement at Bear Butte.

The Legislature earlier this year rejected Governor Rounds' plan to use state money to help finance an easement that would prevent development on ranch land near Bear Butte, which is a sacred religious site for many American Indian tribes.

State officials are still looking for an alternate source of money to finance the easement.

By AP Writer Chet Brokaw (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 09-23-08 1827CDT |

http://www.kxmc.com/News/278498.asp

1,200-year-old home found

2008-08-20T13:45:00.000-06:00

1,200-year-old home found
It contains pit house, hearth and broken pots
By Mark Havnes
The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 08/20/2008 10:21:51 PM MDT

Posted: 10:14 PM- KANAB - For a nearly 1,200-year-old home, it's held up pretty well.
"Amazing" and "pristine" were the words archaeologists used to characterize the site of the ancient settlement just north of Kanab in southern Utah. It is believed that the single-family dwelling belonged to the Virgin Anasazi, who once flourished in the region, said Utah Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Kitchen. The Virgin Anasazi was a prehistoric American Indian culture that lived along the Virgin River.
The culture predates other American Indian tribes who inhabited the area.
Kitchen said surveyors first found the site just east of US Highway 89 in 2006 while preparing for a possible road project on US 89. He doubts the discovery will influence plans for the road project.
UDOT archaeologist Pam Higgins said Wednesday research completed last week confirmed an "amazing find."
"My adrenaline was through the roof," she said.
The site, found amid deep red, sandy soil, was apparently home to a single family, Higgins said. No remains were found and it's unknown how many people lived there or for how long. Crews identified a pit house used for shelter, which measured about 13 feet in diameter, several storage containers and a hearth in what appeared to be a covered communal area.
Higgins said
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several broken pots were also found and that they could easily be repaired.
"What is so amazing about the site is the pristine condition it is in," she said.
The site sat undisturbed just below the surface for centuries and extended several feet beneath the ground about 300 yards east of Kanab Creek.
When the road project was being planned earlier this year, excavation plans were granted and digging began this summer for the data recovery work, as required by federal law.
Jody Patterson, a vice president for Moab-based Montgomery Archaeology and who worked at the site, said Wednesday the dig took about 30 days to complete.
Several years ago during a pipeline operation nearby, a similar site was excavated, Patterson said.
"The [new site] was extensive, but not unexpected," Patterson said.
State archaeologist Kevin Jones said the find is indicative of how populated the area once was.
"There were probably more people living in the area at one time than now," he said.
The discovery also revealed rabbit and deer bones, indicating hunting activity, along with stone drill bits for making jewelry and clothing and numerous stone tips.
"What was interesting was finding shells and what appears to be turquoise," Patterson said. The origin of those items will be determined and could shed light on trading patterns among southern Utah's former inhabitants.
After being inventoried and documented, the area was buried again last week.
A final report on the study of the site could take two years, Patterson said.
"Now the real work begins," he said
mhavnes@sltrib.com

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10259444

McCain offends by not meeting Great Plains tribes

2008-08-13T10:42:00.000-06:00

McCain offends by not meeting Great Plains tribes
Posted: August 12, 2008
by: Rob Capriccioso

Photo courtesy Tamra Brennan -- Traffic was backed up more than normal at Sturgis as Sen. John McCain made a stop at the annual event. Area Natives took offense to his visit which did not include meetings with any tribes.

PIERRE, S.D. - After Sen. John McCain made a campaign stop Aug. 4 at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, much attention was paid to a joke he made about having his wife, Cindy, run for the Miss Buffalo Chip beauty contest crown - a feat that would require her to wear a skimpy bikini and perform risque dance moves in front of the rally's thousands of rowdy partygoers.

Several tribal leaders were not only taken aback by the statement, but were also let down that McCain would choose to visit a rally featuring nudity and drunken behavior while not trying to schedule a meeting with a single tribal nation. And many Natives have long been asking for a halt to the very rowdiness in which McCain chose to participate - out of respect to the nearby Bear Butte Mountain, a sacred site for multiple tribes nationwide.

A. Gay Kingman, director of the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association, said that she extended an invitation to the McCain campaign in mid-July, soon after she learned the presumptive GOP candidate would be traveling to the area. The idea was to have McCain meet with the more than a dozen elected chairs and presidents of sovereign Indian nations in the Dakota region that are represented by the association.

Tribal leaders wanted to talk with McCain on several areas of substance, including the need for reservation jobs and improved tribal resources, as well as law enforcement and judiciary issues.

''It's a total disappointment,'' said Kingman, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. ''Many of us have known Sen. McCain - and even testified before him when he was chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.''

She noted that McCain's schedule even allowed for him to spend the night in the region, so she feels he couldn't have been that pressed for time.

''I think the presidential candidates are very protected. I don't know if the senator himself even knew that the Indian tribes wanted to meet with him. I just can't see him purposely choosing not to meet with us.''

John Tahsuda, a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma who used to work for McCain on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, tried to help Kingman with her request but was unsuccessful. Tribal leaders also contacted staffers of Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., since he has been a strong backer of Indian issues and is close to McCain, but nothing came of that outreach, either.

Tom Steward, a spokesman for the McCain campaign, said it was his understanding that the candidate did not schedule time to meet with tribal leaders while in the region because there ''was not much local time overall for meetings.''

He added that McCain has been a longtime leader on Indian issues, and ''had in mind'' American Indians who served in the military during his Sturgis appearance.

Earlier in August, McCain faced strong criticism from members of the Native American Journalists Association, who noted that he skipped a long-planned minority journalist event.

Some Indians feel that Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic candidate, has done a better job at reaching out to Great Plains tribes, noting that he met with tribal leaders in the area during the primary season this spring.

The Sturgis Rally is held each summer on private grounds. It, along with several other venues in the region, annually plays host to tens of thousands of bikers and tourists. Many come decked in leather, and some tend to overindulge in drinking and noisemaking.

Several Native activists tried unsuccessfully in June to get the Meade County Commission to deny alcohol licenses for the nearby Broken Spoke Campground, which they said was one of the most disruptive developments in the area. Since then, other bars and venues, including Buffalo Chip Campground, home to the rally, have begun offering helicopter rides near Bear Butte.

The 4,422-foot peak has been used for thousands of years as a religious and commemorative place for vision quests, ceremonies of passage and renewal, spiritual offerings and medicine gatherings.

Instead of standing up for Indian religious rights and sacred beliefs, McCain was seen by some Natives as actually harming them with his visit to the area. While the senator from Arizona stated publicly he wanted to pay respect to the many veterans who attend the rally each year, some Indians felt he could have done so at any number of nearby veteran facilities that do not disrupt Bear Butte.

''I think he could have gotten his message out in support of the veterans at a venue that was more generic,'' Kingman said. ''He just didn't make a good show of respect to Indians.''

Tamra Brennan, founder of the grass-roots organization Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation, said McCain's event caused much more ''wall-to-wall traffic'' to the area than she's seen in the past. She described his appearance as contributing to an atmosphere of ''absolute chaos.''

''For him to come to a venue such as Buffalo Chip - which is very well known for its nudity and drunken behavior - seems a little strange,'' Brennan said. She's been working overtime this summer to raise awareness that noise from motorcycle rallies and drunken partiers, as well as fireworks and flashing strobe lights that are sometimes shone onto the mountain, have disrupted the sacred lands.

Brennan, who lives near the base of the mountain, said she doesn't think McCain cares about sacred site issues at all, especially considering that he didn't visit any reservations.

''I don't think we even had a chance at being on his radar,'' said Brennan, Eastern Cherokee. ''I feel that the Native community was shunned. And we won't soon forget it.''

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/content.cfm?id=1096417931

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Cindy McCain as Miss Buffalo Chip?

2008-08-07T12:27:00.002-06:00

Cindy McCain as Miss Buffalo Chip?
Vigilant Ticket readers know we always are on the alert for historic firsts. This presidential campaign has provided us our fill -- most recently, the chance to reflect upon the unprecedented age gap between the two major-party White House contenders.

Now comes another barrier shattered, noted by The Times' Bob Drogin.

As he delineates in a delightfully written piece elsewhere on latimes.com, John McCain on Monday became the first presidential aspirant to attend the annual Sturgis Rally in South Dakota, an event dating back to 1938 that each year attracts hordes of enthusiasts for a week of celebrating biker culture.

The candidate basked in a warm welcome; as Drogin put it: "It was almost as if McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was a celebrity -- a dirty word in his lexicon since his campaign last week ran ads mocking rival Barack Obama for his celebrity status, comparing him to Britney Spears."

Along with making history with his appearance, McCain came close to breaking new ground as he introduced his wife, Cindy McCain (who, Drogin wrote, "wore the equivalent of a nun's habit here: black jeans and a long-sleeved shirt").

McCain, Drogin relates, told his rowdy listeners "that he had encouraged his wife to enter the annual Sturgis beauty contest, one in which nudity is not uncommon. ... 'I told her with a little luck she could be the only lady to serve as first lady and Miss Buffalo Chip,' he said with a broad grin."

Mrs. McCain has been doing yeoman work on the campaign trail. Just this last weekend, she expertly mingled with a NASCAR crowd at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania (and took a short spin in the pace car). Showing excellent judgment, however, she passed on her husband's latest suggestion.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/08/cindy-mccain-as.html

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

McCain policy should uphold Native religious freedoms, sites

2008-08-07T12:27:00.001-06:00

Column: McCain policy should uphold Native religious freedoms, sites - Wednesday, August 6, 2008
By JODI RAVE of the Missoulian

“I believe the federal government has a special ethical and legal responsibility to help make the American Dream accessible to Native Americans.”

- John McCain, Native policy statement

It's with some irony that Sen. John McCain has touted the federal government's “ethical and legal responsibility” to help Native people live the American Dream, a statement that smacked against the backdrop of the sacred Bear Butte as McCain paid tribute Monday to veterans attending a nearby biker rally.

While McCain has a strong record of championing Native causes, his legislative coups don't reflect the need to protect sacred sites and indigenous people's religious freedom.

McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, spoke to several thousand motorcycle enthusiasts at an annual tribute to military men and women attending the Sturgis Rally, the country's largest biker extravaganza. He greeted the crowd at the Buffalo Chip Campground, about four miles south of Mato Paha, a sacred butte rising 1,253 feet from the surrounding prairie.

Traffic to the campground was backed up for hours Monday night as people drove to the rough-and-rowdy, leather-and often-barely-clad venue for the night's headliners, featuring motorcycle stunts, Kid Rock, female wrestlers, the Miss Buffalo Chip Beauty Pageant - and McCain.

“I find it strange that he would come to a venue such as the Sturgis Rally that is very well known for nudity and drunkenness,” said Tamra Brennan, founder and director of Protect Sacred Sites.

“I understand he was there to honor the veterans, but it seems there's a lot of other ways he could have honored veterans.

“And why didn't he come into Indian Country while he was here?” she said. “During the campaign process, he didn't come to any of the reservations like the other candidates did and talk to people about Indian issues.”

Brennan, who lives at the base of Bear Butte, is among Native sacred site advocates campaigning to protect Bear Butte from continual encroachment, mostly by big biker bars within eye- and ear-shot of the ceremonial mountain, a religious area in the foothills of the Lakota Nation's revered Black Hills.

In the campaign quote from his Native policy statement, McCain acknowledges the U.S. government's responsibility to help Native people live the American Dream.

While Natives and non-Natives' idea of the American Dream may vary, they share a dream for religious freedom.

Even though the United States has a history of using its military might to strip Native people of their religious freedoms, other world leaders acknowledge a need to restore what's been lost.

In 2007, the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which states indigenous people have “the right to maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to their religious and cultural sites �”

The Arizona senator's 25-year legislative record shows he knows Native people are far from living the American Dream.

McCain has twice been chairman - and remains a member - of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. The leadership position has given him keen insight into the needs of tribal communities, allowing him to sponsor and enact legislation to improve the lives of Native people. He sponsored the Tribal Self-Governance Act of 1994, a law to strengthen Indian self-determination and allow for government-to-government relations.

He has also championed legislation to support law enforcement, health care, trust resources, economic development, housing and education initiatives throughout Indian Country.

“As chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and in his home state of Arizona, Senator McCain has long been a leader on issues important to Native Americans,” Tom Steward, regional campaign director, said Monday. “Senator McCain's speech in Sturgis is to honor current military members and veterans who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, including Native Americans.”

Native people, indeed, have made the ultimate sacrifices to maintain any semblance of freedom.

They were forced to surrender tens of millions of acres of homelands, including Bear Butte, which has remained central to prayers and ceremonies. Indigenous people of North America have the religious distinction of embracing nature as a church. Their holy altars are laid upon natural landscapes, including prayer and fasting sites spread across the slopes of Mato Paha.

Indigenous people from more than 30 tribes visit the butte throughout the year, mostly in the summer months. Their peaceful prayers and vision quests often clash with fireworks and music blasting from nearby Sturgis venues, such as the one visited by McCain.

The presidential candidate's Native policy statement doesn't make a pledge to protect the religious freedom and sacred sites of Native people.

But if he is to continue touting the federal government's ethical and legal responsibility to helping Native people live the American Dream, he can start by upholding their religious freedoms.

Jodi Rave covers Native issues for Lee Enterprises. Reach her at (800) 366-7186 or at jodi.rave@lee.net.

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/08/06/jodirave/rave40.txt

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Update Bear Butte 7/31 ~ Helicopters on site already

2008-07-31T07:31:00.000-06:00

July 31, 2008

Sturgis is already insane with people, bikes and vendors, lots going on already. The helicopters have already started arriving. Took this one at the Lamphere Ranch today, which is on hwy 34 & just west of hwy 79. Attempted to talk with the pilot, but he wasn't anywhere around, so will keep trying. Didn't see any helicopters at the other three campgrounds, so far. I am going to try and talk to all of them, if possible, just to see what their intentions are. Spoke with FAA again today, he is going to be out here all weekend talking with these guys and monitoring what is happening.

Will keep you all posted as we go along...........

It's gonna be a longgggggg next 10 days!

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

FOUR Campgrounds near Bear Butte NOW offering HELICOPTER rides

2008-07-28T07:23:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone,

Many of you may be aware that the past couple months, we have been battling a new attack of helicopters over the mountain. A couple of months ago, Broken Spoke Campground, formally known as Sturgis County Line were the first to announce they were offering helicopter rides during the rally.

There are now FOUR separate campgrounds near Bear Butte that are offering helicopter rides during the Sturgis Rally.

Just this afternoon, this banner "Helicopter Rides" went up on the side of this trailer, at Ride -N- Rest Campground, on Hwy 79 just a mile or so South of Bear Butte.

I called my contact with the FAA, he is going to give them a call and discuss the issue with flying over Bear Butte. Again, all FAA can do is make "suggestions and guidelines" and request the pilot not fly over Bear Butte. Any of these campgrounds can decide at any point, to fly over the mountain during the rally, and legally we can't stop them. We have made a attempt to take legal action, however since Bear Butte is a State Park, instead of Federal we are limited on what recourse actions we can take.

In the conversation with the FAA, he stated that there are two additional campgrounds that have contacted him, that will be offering helicopter rides during the rally. He also spoke to them about not flying over Bear Butte as well.

This is now a total of four campgrounds which include; Buffalo Chip, Lamphere Ranch, Ride-N-Rest and Broken Spoke Campgrounds all offering helicopter rides during the Sturgis Rally.
Weather they all stay away from flying over Bear Butte, and listen to the FAA's suggested guidelines or not, will remain the question. The other three have not specifically stated that they would be flying over Bear Butte, but until the rally is over, we wont know for sure. Broken Spoke is now claming that they will not be flying over Bear Butte.

We will believe it when we DON"T see it in all four cases.

However, even if they do not fly over Bear Butte, keep in mind, these campgrounds are all within a few miles of Bear Butte and the noise pollution of all four of these helicopters is going to be horrendous. The Speedway is almost four miles away and we can hear all the noise, when the car races are going on.

This helicopter issue has gotten completely out of control. Weather it is pure coincidence that all of a sudden three additional campgrounds are now offering helicopter rides, and they all got this brainstorm at once. Or, is this the typical show down of these venues, trying to compete and out do each other. Once one offers something, all the others have to jump onboard with the idea.

Take a look at this map and see for yourself all of the encroachment going on around the mountain.

For anyone possibly reading this, that may not be familiar with the ongoing struggle to protect bear butte, please visit our website at www.protectbearbutte.com

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Update on Bear Butte issue 7-20-08

2008-07-20T23:29:00.001-06:00

Update on Bear Butte issue 7-20-08

The rally is two weeks away and the tents are already up and running in Sturgis. They say with the economy, the rally could be down by half this year. Don't get to excited about this, that is still potentially 250,000 people! Sturgis is normally a community of about 6,500 people, so this influx of people all at once is overwhelming.

With the new developments and issues with Broken Spoke Campground, we are dreading this upcoming rally. They will be offering concerts every night this year. The helicopter issue is still pending. Our organization Protect Sacred Sites and Parks, filed a complaint with FAA, they did make recommendations to BSC to not fly over Bear Butte, and gave them other suggested flight patterns. The challenge is all FAA can do is make suggestions and recommendations, what they say is not mandatory. This makes no sense, believe me I know! We have been working with NARF for legal assistance, they hopefully will be filing a legal letter to Broken Spoke in the next few days about this issue.

Our org submitted a Tribal Resolution to the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association for the protection of Bear Butte and the helicopter issue. They unanimously approved the resolution on July 10th, (Resolution 52-07-10-08) . This will also be submitted to NARF as additional documentation of support for the issue. I will post a copy of the resolution on our website and blog, as soon as I get a digital copy of it, within the next couple days.

We will be walking around each day during the Rally, reaching out to the Biker community about the Bear Butte issue. We are continuing the campaign "Bikers for Bear Butte" and will be passing out the fliers during the rally. Over the past couple months, our organization and volunteers have sent out approximately 5,000-6,000 emails and still counting, the Bikers for Bear Butte flier, to various biker websites, message boards, dealerships, organizations and clubs.

We will be documenting what transpires during the rally, sending out updates during that week.

On a good note, with all the rain we have had, Bear Butte Lake is actually full. It is actually a wildlife refuge, however it hasn't been at this level for about ten years. This is a good thing! I took the picture above last week. Enjoy......

Thank you to everyone that has helped us with getting this info and the fliers out there! Your help is greatly appreciated, we couldn't have gotten all this out without your help!

What's new on Protect Bear Butte website

Detailed timeline summary of Bear Butte issue from 2003 shooting range issue, to today's struggle with the bars.

new design, new pages, new posts to the blog and more............

For up to date info about the ongoing efforts to Protect Bear Butte, visit us at www.protectbearbutte.com

Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation is a grass roots organization, working towards the protection of sacred sites across the country. Our organization has been actively involved with the ongoing struggle to Protect Bear Butte for several years. We are continuing these efforts, our organization is currently leading the campaign regarding the new developments and further expansions at Bear Butte. Please visit our main website at www.ProtectSacredSites.org . We have a dedicated website for the Bear Butte issue at www.protectbearbutte.com

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Timeline for Bear Butte Issue

2008-07-20T21:06:00.000-06:00

Timeline for Bear Butte

February 2003 - The Northern Cheyenne, Rosebud Sioux, Crow Creek Sioux and Yankton Sioux tribes and Defenders of the Black Hills file lawsuit to stop shooting range four miles north of Bear Butte.

During his time in office, Governor Janklow provided faulty information in order to obtain money from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The program also received an illegal grant of $825,000.00 from Housing Urban Development (HUD) program.

January 2004 – Sturgis Industrial Expansion Corp. (SIEC) and the City of Sturgis announce they are abandoning plans to develop shooting range near Bear Butte.

Governor Rounds, now in office and returns the funds to HUD.

************************************************************************

August 2005 – Jay Allen announces developing the world’s largest biker bar, calling it “On Sacred Ground” just north of Bear Butte. Also, erecting a 80 foot Indian statue pointing towards the mountain and tipi’s. The property will include a bar, concert venue, restaurant and RV park.

October 2005 – After objections from local tribes and Native people, Jay Allen changes the name of bar from “On Sacred Ground” to “Sturgis County Line”

January 2006 - Paul Valandra, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and Jim Bradford, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, sponsor HB1233. The bill would create a four-mile buffer zone around Bear Butte, the bill would prohibit liquor licenses from being issued for establishments around Bear Butte.

February 2006 – House Local Government Committee voted 9-3 to reject HB1233

March 2006 – Jay Allen breaks ground with the new development of Sturgis County Line.

April 4, 2006 – Over 1,000 supporters, both Native and non showed support to protect Bear Butte for the protest gathering held at Meade County Commissioners courthouse.
The Meade County Commissioner’s unanimously voted 5-0 to approve Jay Allen’s liquor license.

May 2006 – Meade County denies submitted petition requesting a county vote on approval of Jay Allen’s liquor license. The Commissioners determined the approval of the license was an "administrative action" therefore, the issue cannot be referred to a vote. More than 750 signatures were collected within Meade County, which was more than enough votes to overturn the Commissioners decision.

July 4, 2006 – Gathering of Nations to Defend Bear Butte encampment begins, running through August 7th.

August 2006 – Sturgis Bike Rally Week. Jay Allen’s Sturgis County Line opens its doors.

Protest walk from Bear Butte encampment to Sturgis is held during the rally. Approximately 500 people are in attendance.

December 2006 – on sale license renewed

June 2007 – Jay Allen’s, Sturgis County Line, off sale license revoked due to poor character, based upon unpaid bills to local contractors. Meade County Commissioner’s warn Allen if bills are not paid, his on sale license in December will be in jeopardy.

August 2007 – 2nd year open for Sturgis County Line.
Two organizations, Protect Sacred Sites, Indigenous People One Nation, BBIA, a few private citizens and Northern Cheyenne’s hosted a prayer camp at the base of Bear Butte on the Northern Cheyenne property off hwy 79. A smaller presence than 2006, is held from August 1st – 15th, during bike week.

December 2007 – Meade County Commissioners revoke Jay Allen’s Sturgis County Line on sale liquor license due to poor character, based upon the continued unpaid bills to local contractors.

Governor Rounds proposes House Bill 1275 to the 2008 state Legislature. This bill would enact a conservation easement for the area around Bear Butte. A request for the state of South Dakota to purchase 743 acres of land that adjoined Bear Butte State Park.

There is hereby appropriated from the general fund the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($ 250,000 ), or so much thereof as may be necessary, and five hundred ninety- three thousand seven hundred seventy-seven dollars ($593,777), or so much thereof as may be necessary, of federal fund expenditure authority, and three hundred forty-three thousand seven hundred seventy-seven dollars ($343,777), or so much thereof as may be necessary, of other fund expenditure to the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks for a portion of the costs related to the acquisition of easements adjacent to Bear Butte State Park located in Meade County, South Dakota.

January 2008 –Jay Allen appeals revocation of liquor license due the character issues.

February 2008 – Governor Rounds, House Bill 1275 An act to make an appropriation for a portion of the costs related to the acquisition of easements adjacent to Bear Butte State Park and to declare an emergency. FAILS YEAS 24, NAYS 44

April 2008 – Jay Allen’s appeal was held before Judge Bastian, at the Meade County Courthouse. Allen testified he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding, purchase agreement on February 26, 2008 with Target Companies, a travel corporation from Boston, MA. The agreement terms were to be finalized on May 3, 2008. Allen stated upon completion of the agreement, his only role in the Sturgis County Line would be as a promoter, and because he was no longer the owner, his character could not be basis for license revocation. Judge Bastian remanded the decision back to Meade County Commissioners. His instructions asked the Commissioners to reconsider their decision to revoke, based upon the new information that Allen would no longer be the “owner” of Sturgis County Line.

The Meade County Commissioner’s held an Executive Session Meeting on April 24, 2008. They unanimously voted to appeal Judge Bastian’s decision. It has been directed to South Dakota Supreme Court for further clarification, to determine if Judge Bastian had the legal authority to make such a decision. A court date will be scheduled in the upcoming months.

May 2008 – Supreme Court denies appeal, sending it back again to Meade County Commissioners to make final determination.

Target Logistics states they have made a legal decision to “lease” the Broken Spoke Campground property from Jay Allen, until the pending litigation is completed.

June 2008 – Meade County Commissioners defer the Broken Spoke Campground liquor license issue to the July meeting.

Broken Spoke Campground announces they will be hosting concerts every night during the rally and are now offering helicopter rides over Bear Butte during the rally.

Complaints are filed regarding helicopter issue and violation of Native American Freedom of Religion Act, to the FAA by Protect Sacred Sites Organization and South Dakota State Parks. Protect Sacred Sites, submitted a request for legal action and assistance to the Native American Rights Fund.

Request for resolution from NCAI regarding opposition to liquor license issue is requested by Protect Sacred Sites and approved from NCAI. Resolution is submitted to Meade County Commissioners.

July 2008 – Meade County Commissioners approve 3-2, Jay Allen’s previously revoked on sale liquor license. New investors Target Logistics have paid all the previous debts off in full, with the exception of one currently in litigation.

Protect Sacred Sites organization, submits a draft resolution to Greater Plains Tribal Chairs Association, for protection of Bear Butte. Approved by Tribal Chairs on July 10, 2008.

Bear Butte bar gets nod for liquor license

2008-07-04T15:55:00.000-06:00

Bear Butte bar gets nod for liquor license
By Andrew Gorder, Journal staff Wednesday, July 02, 2008
The 3-2 vote came after about an hour and a half of testimony from representatives of Target Logistics -- a Boston-based company that intends to buy the embattled campground -- and Native Americans, concerned citizens and other activists who support a development buffer or an alcohol ban near Bear Butte.

In recent years, opponents have regularly testified before the commission about their opposition to alcohol near the mountain. It is a sacred landmark and prayer site for the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and other Native American tribes.

"I'm really disappointed that the Meade County commissioners did not take all of us into account," said Tamra Brennan, director and founder of grass-roots group Protect Sacred Sites.

The Broken Spoke Campground, formerly known as Sturgis County Line, has been in a fight to renew its on-sale liquor and beer licenses since commissioners voted to deny them last year. The campground, northeast of Sturgis, is within 1-1/2 miles of Bear Butte.

Former owner Jay Allen lost the beer license for his campground last June after commissioners received complaints from local contractors who claimed they had not been paid by Allen.

Alcohol licenses can be denied on the basis of the character of the owner-operator or the location of the venue.

In December, the commission also rejected Allen's renewal application for an on-sale liquor license, again citing unsettled debts with contractors.

Allen appealed the decision, and on April 4, Circuit Court Judge John Bastian ruled the county commission must reconsider its decision because of the proposed change in ownership.

Target Logistics is an international company that provides housing, transportation and hospitality services. It intended to buy controlling interest in the venue several months ago but was leasing the property until the liquor license issue was settled.

Representatives of the firm said that, when the sale is final, Allen will have a 30 percent, noncontrolling interest in the campground.

During Tuesday's hearing, commissioners heard from several character references for David Shue, an employee of Target Logistics and the newly hired managing officer for Sturgis County Line LLC.

Shue, a former director of operations for the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, spoke on his own behalf, highlighting his service in Iraq and Afghanistan and promising to be a "good neighbor."

Commissioners also heard from several concerned Meade County residents and Native American activists who urged them to deny the alcohol licenses.

Opponents mainly voiced concerns about the growing size of the campground and its encroachment on Bear Butte. They said they believed the new owners will only continue the expansion.

"The new investors, Target Logistics, have already proceeded with plans for additional development and expansion," Brennan said. "We've had a drought for the last eight years, and here they're building the world's biggest biker pool," she said.

"We love this land, and we don't want anything to happen to it," said Jace DeCory, another concerned resident.

After hearing testimony, Commissioner Dean Wink said he sympathized with opponents but did not agree that the location of the venue was the issue at hand. Wink said most of Allen's debts being settled was reason enough for him approve the license.

"I think that probably shows a good faith effort on the part of Target Logistics, to be a good business for this area," Wink said.

Commissioner Dayle Hammock said he did not feel comfortable with Jay Allen's continued involvement with the company and sponsored a motion to deny the license. That motion failed, and the committee then voted to renew the license.

"They're basically standing behind corporate America," said Brennan, who also said her organization plans to appeal the commission's decision. "We're not done."

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/07/02/news/top/doc486afab8cafaa463592499.txt?show_comments=true#commentdiv

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Corporate America ~vs~ Sacred Sites

2008-07-01T21:57:00.000-06:00

Please forward in its entirety.

Press release

Corporate America ~vs~ Sacred Sites
Decision on Bear Butte issue 7-1-08
written by: Tamra Brennan

On July 1st, 2008 the Meade County Commissioners voted 3 - 2 to approve Jay Allen's liquor license, for the Broken Spoke Campground located at Bear Butte.

There were two separate issues discussed regarding liquor license applications. The initial license for Jay Allen, which was revoked on December 5, 2007, appealed in January, then remanded back to the Meade County Commissioners by Judge Bastian on April 14, 2008. Meade County Commissioners appealed the judges decision, in June the South Dakota Supreme Court, denied the appeal, again sending it back to Meade County Commissioners.

The second issue was the new liquor license application filed by David Shoe, General Manager for the new investors Target Logistics, Broken Spoke Campground LLC.

Target Logistics has paid off all of Jay Allen's outstanding debts for Broken Spoke Campground, LLC with the exception of one that is currently in litigation. They have dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, into this place already. Jim Seward attorney for Target Logistics also stated that Jay Allen still owns 30% of the stock, which contradicts everything that they have testified to previously, which was that Jay Allen is no longer involved. These people change their story at every hearing.

Target Logistics Corporation showed up at the hearing with 12-15 suits, including the CEO, various attorneys and military personnel. They spent a hour of the hearing testifying about military issues, and praising David Shoe, since he was previously involved in Blackwater, had been in Afganstitan and Iraq and apparently has secret service clearance, even today. They actually brought previous military personnel here to testify on behalf of David Shoe's character, for a liquor license at a bar located at Bear Butte.

They used the war, they used the military service to gain sympathy and support from the Meade County Commissioners, to acquire the license license.

Does anyone see the irony here? Can someone please explain what the military has to do with a bar, at a sacred site and what they are doing here?

The supporters for the Bear Butte issue were sitting listening to this testimony, wondering what any of this had to do, with Meade County and a bar at Bear Butte?
Several people stood up and questioned these statements and motives.

Jack Doyle, a local Meade County resident continually testify's against our side, and always includes disgusting and racist comments, stated "Indians do not own Bear Butte mountain, they are their as guests, if its not suitable for them they can go somewhere else."

Another local, life long resident and Bear Butte supporter stood up and addressed the Commissioners and Target Logistics, stated she felt that Target Logistics was making a bad business decision, and they obviously had not done a business marketing analysis, that there have been two local campgrounds go bankrupt over this past two years, maybe they should go invest in one of the bankrupt campgrounds, there is one available in Whitewood. She received a huge applaud from the Bear Butte supporters.

I did record the hearing and will be cutting it down, its a hour and a half, once I get that done, I will be posting it on our new blog talk radio show. It should be up within the next day. I will send out a link, once it is up and running. It will also be posted on our website www.protectbearbutte.com

Because it was the appealed license that was approved, I am going to be doing some checking and see what actions, if any, that we can take next to appeal this decision.

Needless to say, this is simply another case of Corporate America ~vs~ Native American people and sacred sites, and we lost, yet again.

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

'I'm not afraid to speak on behalf of the mountain'

2008-06-27T19:19:00.000-06:00

If you have not had a chance to sign our online petition to Protect Bear Butte, please take a moment to sign! The petition is to oppose the liquor licenses for Broken Spoke Campground. Deadline is Monday June 30th. Hearing is Tuesday, July 1st at 3:30 Meade County Commissoners Building.
http://www.petitiononline.com/BBappeal/petition.html

Thank you for your continued support to Protect Bear Butte!

Tamra

'I'm not afraid to speak on behalf of the mountain'
Posted: June 27, 2008
by: Rob Capriccioso
Click to Enlarge

Photo courtesy Tamra Brennan -- The two-story bar at the Broken Spoke Campground is one of many developments that have popped up around sacred Bear Butte over the last two years.
PIERRE, S.D. - A group of impassioned Indians gathered at South Dakota's Bear Butte State Park June 21 to pray for healing and to highlight what they call ''horrifying'' commercial developments around their revered mountain.

The gathering was attended by more than 40 Natives, with some traveling from as far away as Canada to pray and honor the lands. Bear Butte is considered sacred to dozens of Native nations, including the Cheyenne, Lakota and Arapaho tribes, some of which own small sections of land near the mountain.

The 4,422-foot peak has been used for thousands of years as a religious and commemorative place for vision quests, ceremonies of passage and renewal, spiritual offerings and medicine gatherings.

In recent years, economic development in the form of bars, concert venues and campgrounds has become increasingly upsetting to Indians who have long made religious pilgrimages to the site. About a dozen developments currently operate in close proximity to the mountain, many of which have been built since 2006 in an attempt to lure bikers and tourists to the area.

Tamra Brennan, founder of the grass-roots organization Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation, lives near the base of the mountain. She said that noise from motorcycle rallies and drunken partiers, as well as fireworks and flashing strobe lights that are sometimes shone onto the mountain, have disrupted the sacred lands.

''The struggle has gotten difficult over the last few months,'' Brennan, Eastern Cherokee, said. ''It's been hard to keep people informed on new developments. The issue is a lot more critical now than even a few years ago.''

Brennan and others are urging the Meade County Commission to deny alcohol licenses for the Broken Spoke Campground, which they say is one of the most disruptive developments in the area.

Originally called Sturgis County Line Bar, the two-story, 25,000-square-foot venue is in transition to be operated by Boston-based Target Logistics, an international company that provides housing, transportation, life support and hospitality services. The property was previously under the sole management of developer Jay Allen, who lost his alcohol license last year due to character issues.

Developers with Broken Spoke recently expressed interest in offering helicopter rides over the mountain, which further angered Natives in the area. The Native American Rights Fund has consulted with local Indians on helping to legally stop the rides under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.

Developers have also pursued plans to build a concert stadium and an RV park in addition to the bar already on the grounds.

''It's going to make it practically impossible to pray in peace,'' Brennan said.

Target Logistics President Joe Murphy has said in the past that he is ''happy to sit down and listen to our critics'' and that he is ''respectful'' of his critics' religious views. He could not be reached by press time for further comment.

The commission's meeting to determine whether the campground will get its alcohol license is scheduled for July 1. Brennan's organization is encouraging tribal members from throughout the region to make their voices heard prior to meeting day. Organizers believe that visitors will be discouraged from frequenting the venue, if liquor cannot be served.

The National Congress of American Indians is opposed to the alcohol license application submitted by Broken Spoke.

''Both the location and the character of the applicant are unsuitable for any alcohol licenses,'' according to a letter sent by NCAI to the Meade County Commission.

The organization also recommended that county commissioners ''use their broad discretion over alcohol licenses to begin government-to-government consultation with affected local Indian tribes to establish notification and consultation procedures for decisions that affect religious practice at Bear Butte and all American Indian sacred sites.''

Republican Gov. Mike Rounds and some state legislators have also tried to conserve and protect lands around Bear Butte, but have been unsuccessful to date.

Alberta Fischer, a Montana-based Northern Cheyenne elder, said she is hopeful that the damages she's seen as a result of the developments will one day end. She first started making treks to the mountain as a young girl when she watched her grandparents and parents pray and perform religious ceremonies there.

''I grew up with it. I know the true significance of that mountain. It's been a part of my life, which is why I'm opposed to any development. I'm not afraid to speak on behalf of the mountain.

''There's going to be somebody who will listen to us one of these days. And that's what I pray for.''

Bear Butte was listed as a National Natural Landmark in 1965, as a National Historical Place in 1973 and as a National Historic Landmark in 1981. It has been on the National Historic Landmarks threat level watch list since 2004.

http://www.indiancountry.com:80/content.cfm?id=1096417592

For more information, visit www.ProtectBearButte.com.

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Bear Butte alcohol license hearings sure to draw opponents

2008-06-12T19:26:00.002-06:00

Bear Butte alcohol license hearings sure to draw opponents
By Joe Kafka, The Associated Press Thursday, June 12, 2008
7 comment(s) Normal Size Increase font Size

Alcohol license requests for a sprawling campground, bar and concert area near a Black Hills butte that's sacred to Native Americans will be opposed at a July 1 hearing in Sturgis.

An opponent of the Broken Spoke Campground, formerly known as Sturgis County Line, complains it will disturb Bear Butte's tranquil aura.

For centuries, members of various Native American tribes have gone to Bear Butte to pray, fast and hold religious ceremonies. They say noise from large campgrounds and bars in the area, which have sprung up over the years to cater to the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, disrupt the normally peaceful setting.

Joe Murphy, president of a Boston firm that plans to buy the Broken Spoke Campground and is leasing it until the alcohol license issue is settled, said Thursday the business will try to be sensitive to qualms about noise and commotion.

"We want to make any accommodation we need to to work with anybody's beliefs," Murphy said. "We respect their religious views and hope we don't disturb them. We're happy to sit down and listen to our critics."

Murphy is president of Target Logistics, an international company that provides housing, transportation, life support and hospitality services. He said Target Logistics wants to buy the campground from Jay Allen, who lost his beer and alcohol licenses last year.

Allen also owns Broken Spoke properties in Laconia, N.H.; Daytona Beach, Fla., and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Murphy said his firm is negotiating for them, too.

Tamra Brennan, founder of a grass-roots group seeking to protect Bear Butte, said she will urge the Meade County Commission to deny alcohol licenses for the Broken Spoke Campground. Brennan, who lives near the base of Bear Butte, said she complained about noise during last year's motorcycle rally and was shrugged off.

Campground noise was so loud one night that it rattled the windows in her house until 2 a.m., she said. Brennan said strobe lights were shone on Bear Butte at night, and the campground manager didn't understand why she would complain about it.

"There are people trying to pray in solitude and peace that are up on the mountain at all hours," she said.

Bear Butte, an ancient volcano that never erupted, is not like a church that has services only on Sundays, said Brennan, an Eastern Cherokee Indian and founder of Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation.

"The land is our church," she said. "We don't just go into a church once a week and spend one hour and then that's it. This is not a religion; this is a spirituality."

The 4,422-foot peak has been a state park since 1961 and is protected as a National Historic Landmark. It has a special area set aside for Indian ceremonies, and regulations prevent other visitors from interfering with those who are praying.

However, the butte is surrounded by private property and growing commercialization.

Joell Romick, the county commission's administrative assistant, said both an on-sale liquor license and a beer license are being sought for the Broken Spoke Campground.

The campground features a 25,000-square-foot bar, or the equivalent of a building that's 250 feet long and 100 feet wide.

In 2006, Native Americans and others opposed initial approval of a liquor license for Jay Allen because the campground is within three miles of Bear Butte.

Allen lost the beer license for his campground a year ago after commissioners received complaints he was not paying his bills.

Alcohol licenses can be denied on the basis of character and location.

Commissioners said 10 months of unpaid bills spoke to the character of Allen, an Arizona-based motorcycle rally entrepreneur.

In December, the county commission rejected Allen's renewal application for an on-sale liquor license, again citing character issues after some contractors who did work at the campground claimed he had not paid them.

Allen said the campground had been a financial headache and that some contractors overcharged or didn't finish their jobs.

Later, a judge said the county commission must reconsider denial of the liquor license because of the proposed change in ownership. The commission balked and requested an intermediate appeal from the state Supreme Court, but that has been denied, Romick said.

Murphy said plans are in the works to keep the campground open all summer, beginning next year. A swimming pool is being added along with other improvements for campers, and it will be geared to families at times other than rally week, he said.

"We want to make it a nice, quality family experience," Murphy said.

"We want to make a solid commitment to the Sturgis area," he added. "We're hiring as many local contractors as we can, and we're trying to bring jobs and money into the area."

Brennan said the nearly one-square-mile campground is a blight on the area. It will feature noisy concerts during the Aug. 4-10 motorcycle rally and will offer helicopter rides over the butte, she said.

"To add helicopter rides over Bear Butte is just appalling," Brennan said. "This is complete disregard for Native American beliefs and the respect of the people who are in ceremonies on the hill."

Helicopter rides over the mountain will violate two federal laws dealing with freedom of religion for Native Americans, she said.

But Murphy said he doubts many helicopter rides will be staged.

"If we had someone who wants to go for a helicopter ride, we would make the helicopter available to them at the campground," he said. "If someone asks to fly over Bear Butte, we'd take them unless it's not allowed."

Murphy noted the area has several other large campgrounds and bars.

"The rally period is a very intense, and whether we're there or not, we're not having any more effect on Bear Butte than the other campgrounds in the area," he said.

On the Net:

www.brokenspokecampground.com/schedule-of-events.cfm

http://www.protectsacredsites.org/

http://www.protectbearbutte.com

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/06/12/news/top/doc4851a08e3740e147427725.txt

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

PROTECT BEAR BUTTE!

"Providing news and information about Native American Issues & Causes"
"Helping to make a difference for our people in Indian Country, one day at a time. What will you do today to help make a difference?"

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

NCAI Supports Bear Butte Issue with Opposition letter 6-10-08

2008-06-12T19:24:00.000-06:00

We received a opposition letter from NCAI today. This is what they sent to Meade County Commissoners in addition to a prior Resoluton for the Protection of Sacred Sites. You can view the letter and Resolution on our website at

http://www.protectbearbutte.com/NCAI%20Letter%20Broken%20Spokes%206-11-08.pdf
It's a great letter!

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Bear Butte Petition ~ Protect Bear Butte

2008-06-07T19:08:00.001-06:00

Protect Bear Butte

http://www.petitiononline.com/BBappeal/petition.html

View Current Signatures - Sign the Petition

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: Meade County Commissioners, Sturgis South Dakota
June 2008, the Supreme Court DENIED the Meade County Commissioners appeal.

The Meade County Commissioners will hold a hearing on July 1, 2008 to make a FINAL determination on the revocation of Jay Allen's, liquor license for the Sturgis County Line (now known as Broken Spoke Campground, LLC).

We are hereby requesting the Meade County Commissioners CONTINUE to DENY, Jay Allen's appeal.

Please keep in mind, this appeal and hearing are a separate issue from the new owners Target Logistics, filing for a NEW liquor license, which will now also be heard in July.

We are requesting that everyone OPPOSE BOTH issues.

Background on issue:

Bear Butte is a sacred mountain located eight miles east of Sturgis, South Dakota.

There are four National designations for Bear Butte:

National Historical Landmark, listed on December 21, 1981
National Historical Places, listed on June 19, 1973
National Natural Landmark, listed on April 1965
Registered National Trail (Bear Butte Summit Trail), listed on June 1,1971

Bear Butte has been on the National Historic Landmarks Program threat level watch list since 2004.

Bear Butte was established as a State Park in 1961.

Bear Butte is sacred to the Plains Tribes who continue to travel to the mountain each summer to pray and hold their annual ceremonies. Instead of praying in peace, traditional people are forced to pray with loud music from bars, motorcycle noise, flashing strobe lights over the mountain, and intoxicated campers nearby.

Blatant disregard for the spiritual beliefs and ceremonies of Native People and the sacredness of this mountain is evidenced by the increased presence of bars, clubs, strobe lights, campgrounds that sell alcohol and a proposed stadium.

For the past few years there has been a continual encroachment of bars and venues heading towards the sacred mountain. In the summer of 2006, the massive two story bar opened just one mile from the mountain, called Sturgis County Line. Their goal is to have a 50,000 seat concert stadium and a RV park, in addition to the newly built two story bar.

These large scale commercial developments invite noise and cumulative impacts of increased traffic and travel, which all stand to adversely impact the natural serenity and tranquility needed for cultural, ceremonial and other visitations to Bear Butte. They will also negatively impact the experience of people who enjoy the spiritual, cultural, and natural resources at Bear Butte.

Target Logistics, the new investors of Broken Spoke Campground, LLC (formally known as Sturgis County Line) have a very aggressive marketing campaign. Plans were announced to open the venue year round. Biker rally events are currently scheduled in June, July and in August for the annual Sturgis Rally. With this new year- round expansion, it will virtually become impossible ALL summer, to pray in peace at Bear Butte. This issue has escalated and is now, more critical than ever.

On December 5, 2007 the Meade County Commissioners unanimously voted to revoke Jay Allen’s on-sale liquor license, seemingly a good thing. The decision was based upon, Jay Allen’s character, stating he was not a suitable person to hold the liquor license in question. The character issue was a result of Jay Allen defaulting on over $100,000.00 of debt, to local contractors who helped to build the Sturgis County Line, in 2006.

In January, Jay Allen appealed the Meade County Commissioners decision to revoke his license.

On April 14, 2008 the appeal was held before Judge Bastian, at the Meade County Courthouse. Allen testified he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding, purchase agreement on February 26, 2008 with Target Logistics Corporation, from Boston, MA. The agreement terms were to be finalized on May 3, 2008. Allen stated upon completion of the agreement, his only role in the Sturgis County Line would be as a promoter, and because he was no longer the owner, his character could not be basis for license revocation. Judge Bastian remanded the decision back to Meade County Commissioners. His instructions asked the Commissioners to reconsider their decision to revoke, based upon the new information that Allen would no longer be the “owner” of Sturgis County Line.

The Judge’s decision was shocking; he re-wrote legislation at the bench. This ruling sets precedence for anyone in South Dakota, if you lose your liquor license due to poor character, the simple solution is to sell to a partnership, disassociate yourself on paper, and your liquor license will be restored. The intriguing part of this decision was, as of the court hearing date on April 14, 2008, Jay Allen was still the current owner and President of Bear Butte Sunsets LLC/ Sturgis County Line. As of the hearing, the only legitimate change had been new management, since the "sale agreement" would not be final until May 3, 2008.

The Meade County Commissioner’s held an Executive Session Meeting on April 24, 2008. They unanimously voted to appeal Judge Bastian’s decision. It has been directed to South Dakota Supreme Court for further clarification, to determine if Judge Bastian had the legal authority to make such a decision.

The beginning of June, the Supreme Court ruled to deny the Meade County Commissioners appeal. The decision is now remanded back to the Commissioners to make a final ruling.

PLEASE show your support for the ongoing efforts to Protect Bear Butte by signing our online petition.

PLEASE sign with your full legal name, DO NOT use screen names or just your first name!

Thank you for your support!

We are continuing the struggle to Protect Bear Butte and hope you will join us in these efforts!

For more detailed information on the struggle to Protect Bear Butte, please visit our website at www.protectbearbutte.com

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

View Current Signatures

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Protect Bear Butte Petition to Meade County Commissioners, Sturgis South Dakota was created by and written by Tamra Brennan, Founder/Director Protect Sacred Sites (tamra@protectsacredsites.org ). This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition

Upcoming Hearing 7-1-08

2008-06-07T19:03:00.002-06:00

Meade County Commissoners
Sturgis, South Dakota

Supreme Court DENIED the appeal from Meade County Commissoners in regards to Jay Allens liquor license revocation.

The Meade County Commissoners will be making a FINAL ruling on

July 1, 2008 at 3:30 p.m

PLEASE ATTEND if you are able to oppose this license.

Bear Butte ~ Update on Meade County Commissoners Hearing Today

2008-06-06T18:38:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,

Today at the Meade County Commissioners Hearing, the Broken Spoke Campground, LLC withdrew their application for a new liquor license. The basis of the withdrawal was Broken Spoke Campground, LLC filed their Corporation paperwork on May 2nd, 2008, it was filed in the state of Delaware. It was not approved by the Secretary of State in South Dakota until May 8th, 2008. They filed their NEW liquor license application on May 5, 2008. So, they had filed for their license before they were authorized to do business in the State of South Dakota.

After discussions with MCC, they decided to withdraw their application. What they will have to do now is, file for a NEW license again, which is another process. It will probably be heard at the regular MCC meeting on July 1 or 2nd.

The Meade County Commissioner’s held an Executive Session Meeting on April 24, 2008 in regards to Judge Bastians decision to remand back Jay Allen's license back to MCC. They unanimously voted to appeal Judge Bastian’s decision. It was directed to South Dakota Supreme Court for further clarification, to determine if Judge Bastian had the legal authority to make such a decision. This week, the Supreme Court denied the appeal and sent it back to Meade County Commissioners.

The Commissioners will have a hearing probably on July 1st or 2nd in regards to the appeal issue as well.

I will let you all know the exact date(s) of each hearing(s) as soon as I confirm with MCC, will know probably tomorrow.

At this point, this gives us more time to still send in additional opposition letters and resolutions..

All of the other license renewals were approved unanimously.

Thanks to the folks that sent in the opposition letters, it is greatly appreciated.

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

ACTION ALERT ~ OPPOSITION Letters needed for NEW liquor license at Bear Butte!

2008-05-20T20:17:00.002-06:00

Please forward this Action Alert in its entirety. Thank you.

*begin

Hello everyone,

The upcoming hearing for both NEW and renewal Malt Beverage applications will be held at Meade County Commissioners on Thursday, June 5th at 3:30 p.m.

We are requesting as many supporters as possible attend this hearing. It is important for both locals and Tribes with interest surrounding Bear Butte to attend this hearing, to voice your oppositions to this NEW license for Broken Spoke Campground, formally known as Sturgis County Line.

Many of you may already be aware, on April 14th, 2008 Jay Allen announced he was in the process of transferring Sturgis County Line, to Target Logistics Corporation dba Broken Spoke Campground, LLC. Their new General Manager David Shoe has taken over the business. Target Logistics is a multi-million dollar corporation, that has the intent of expanding and further developing Broken Spoke Campground, adjacent to Bear Butte. They recently announced they would be opening the location year round, and will be hosting biker events in June, July and August.

This issue is more critical than ever, we need your support and your opposition letters!

Enclosed is a sample letter that can be sent to Meade County, just copy and paste it into a new email and send to the provided email address for Meade County. Or create your own letter, but PLEASE use the issues in bold as your focal points, suitability of location and character are the only two legal measures, for revocation or denial of new liquor licenses or renewals.

Please don't forget to add your legal name and address in your emails, this will assure that your email is counted!

DEADLINE for letters is JUNE 4th at 5:00 p.m. (Mountain Time)

Here is a complete list of all renewals of establishments located directly around Bear Butte:

Iron Horse Campground, Richard Arneson, Tract D & E of BH Subdivision, lying in Tract W1/2 of Sec. 32, T6N, R6E, BHM, Meade County, SD – On-Off Sale;

Buffalo Chip Campground LLC. N1/2 NW1/4, NE1/4, Sec. 8, T5N, R6E, SW1/4, Sec. 4, T5N, R6E, BHM, Meade County, SD – On-Off Sale and Off-Sale SD Wine;

Bear Butte Creek Campground, Mary Hershey Lot 2 & 3, SE1/4NW1/4, S1/2NE1/4, less portion, Sec. 5, T5N, R6E, BHM, Meade County, SD – On-Off Sale;

Full Throttle Saloon & Campground LLC, Lot B of Brennon Subdivision of the NE1/4, Sec. 12, T5N, R5E, BHM, Meade County, SD, On-Off Sale;

Glencoe CampResort, Inc. d/b/a Double J Enterprises Glencoe Subtract B Lots 1 & 5, less 7 acres (2nd revision), Sec. 1, T5N, R5E, BHM; Lots 1 thru 5 S1/2NE1/4, Sec. 6, T5N, R6E, BHM; SE1/4NW1/4, less Tract A (2nd revision), Sec. 31, T6N, R6E, BHM; SE1/4SW1/4 Lot 4, Sec. 31, T6N, R6E, BHM; Lot 1 & 2, Sec. 36, T6N, R5E, BHM; less Govt. Lot 4; SE1/4 SW1/4, SW1/4 SE1/4, E1/2 NW1/4 SE1/4 of Sec. 31, T6N, R6E, BHM, E1/2 N1/2 of Govt. Lot 1 of Sec. 1, T5N, R5E, BHM, Govt. Lot 2 of Sec. 6, T5N, R6E, BHM, Meade County, SD – On-Off Sale;

Dragpipe Saloon LLC, N1/2SE1/4 Sec. 1, T6N, R5E, BHM, Meade County, SD - On-Off Sale;

Free Spirit Campground, LLC – W1/2SW1/4NE1/4 and N1/2NW1/4SE1/4, Section 18, Township 6 North, Range 6 East, BHM, Meade County, SD (retail on-off sale malt beverage).

Crazy Coyoteys LLC., Government Lot 6 in Section 25, Township 6 North, Range 5 East, of the BHM, Meade County, SD less Fritz Subdivision thereof. – On-Off Sale;

Ride N Rest LLC., Lot 1 & Lot 2 BH Subdivision located in the SW1/4SW1/4 of Sec. 32, T6N, R6E, BHM, Meade County, SD – On-Off Sale;

Sample Letter:

Add Today's Date: ____________

Attn: Meade County Auditor

Meade County Board of Commissioners

1425 Sherman Street

Sturgis, SD 67625

Via fax: 605-347-5925

via email: meade@meadecounty.org

Dear County Commissioners:

I oppose the new application for a Malt Beverage liquor license application submitted by General Manager, David Shoe dba Broken Spoke Campground, LLC. The proposed application is for a location that is unsuitable. I request that Meade County Commissioner’s deny the new application. Broken Spoken Campground, LLC formally known as Sturgis County Line, LLC lies within 2 miles North of the actual base of Bear Butte and threatens the natural and historic resources there.

The NEW Malt Beverage license application should be denied because the locations are not suitable. These large scale commercial developments invite noise and cumulative impacts of increased traffic and travel, which all stand to adversely impact the natural serenity and tranquility needed for cultural, ceremonial and other visitations to Bear Butte. They will also negatively impact the experience of people who enjoy the spiritual, cultural, and natural resources at Bear Butte.

The application should be denied on the basis that the applicants are not suitable characters to hold a beer and/or liquor license as proposed. The new application license for General Manager, David Shoe dba Broken Spoke Campground, LLC should be denied based upon unsuitable character and misrepresentation. The new investors of Broken Spoke Campground, LLC, Target Logistics Corporation, have been made fully aware of the significance and protection for Bear Butte. Issues include, the unsuitability of this location, unacceptable noise and disturbance, that this location continues to cause, to those who travel to Bear Butte who need solitude and serenity. They fail to take into account local concerns of impacts to the spiritual, cultural, and natural resources at Bear Butte. Bear Butte is a place of prayer where the natural environment needs to be free from negative influences of alcohol that could affect religious beliefs and practices of those who travel from around the world to pray.

The new investors, Target Logistics Corporation, dba Broken Spoke Campground, LLC have announced plans for additional development and expansions at Broken Spoke Campground. Their expansions include, opening all year round and hosting various rally events in June, July in addition to August. The loud noise and music from this location throughout the summer will directly effect, encroach upon and interfere with the experience of people who wish to pray and/or visit Bear Butte in seclusion. Many Native Nations and their member’s travel to Bear Butte to pray throughout the year. Bear Butte, a Historical Landmark and sacred site should be protected from the negative influences of beer, liquor and drugs.

I respectfully request for the Meade County Commissioners to DENY the new Malt Beverage license to General Manager, David Shoe and Broken Spoke Campground, LLC

Sincerely,
PLEASE INSERT YOUR full legal name
and address

For additional information, or CURRENT updates on the Protection of Bear Butte, please visit our website at www.ProtectBearButte.com or contact Tamra@ProtectSacredSites.org.

You can sign up for email updates for Bear Butte at info@ProtectBearButte.com , put sign up for email updates in the subject line.

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Grass roots organizations

Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation

& Protect Bear Butte

www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

*end

Saving sacred site Bear Butte issue more critical than ever

2008-05-09T16:52:00.000-06:00

My commentary on Bear Butte, was published in Native Times on Monday May 5th, it is also available at the following link
http://www.nativetimes.com:80/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=9490

Saving sacred site Bear Butte issue more critical than ever

by Tamra Brennan 5/9/2008

COMMENTARY:

Greetings to all my relations,

I am writing to you today to alert you to the escalating commercial desecration of land held sacred by nearly all the Plains American Indian Nations, Bear Butte. Blatant disregard for the spiritual beliefs and ceremonies of Native People and the sacredness of this mountain is evidenced by the increased presence of bars, clubs, strobe lights, campgrounds that sell alcohol and a proposed stadium.

Bear Butte is a sacred mountain located eight miles west of Sturgis, South Dakota. It is registered as a National Historical Landmark. Bear Butte is sacred to the Plains Tribes who continue to travel to the mountain each summer to pray and hold their annual ceremonies. Instead of praying in peace, traditional people are forced to pray with loud music from bars, motorcycle noise, flashing strobe lights over the mountain, and intoxicated campers nearby.

For the past few years there has been a continual encroachment of bars and venues heading towards the sacred mountain. In the summer of 2006, the massive two story bar opened just one mile from the mountain, called Sturgis County Line. Their goal is to have a 50,000 seat concert stadium and a RV park, in addition to the newly built two story bar. The owner of this location, Jay Allen has been disrespectful from the start. He initially wanted to call the location “On Sacred Ground” and erect an 80-foot Indian statue pointing towards the sacred mountain. Of course this was not well received by Native People or others who understand the disrespectful nature of such an act. There has been a movement to stop Jay Allen, and further commercial development, ever since.

Unfortunately, there have been several developments since the summer of 2006. Expansions of Sturgis County Line are in progress and things continue to get worse.

On December 5, 2007 the Meade County Commissioners unanimously voted to revoke Jay Allen’s on-sale liquor license, seemingly a good thing. The decision was based upon, Jay Allen’s character, stating he was not a suitable person to hold the liquor license in question. The character issue was a result of Jay Allen defaulting on over $100,000.00 of debt, to local contractors who helped to build the Sturgis County Line, in 2006.

In January, Jay Allen appealed the Meade County Commissioners decision to revoke his license.
On April 14, 2008 the appeal was held before Judge Bastian, at the Meade County Courthouse. Allen testified he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding, purchase agreement on February 26, 2008 with Target Companies, a travel corporation from Boston, MA. The agreement terms were to be finalized on May 3, 2008. Allen stated upon completion of the agreement, his only role in the Sturgis County Line would be as a promoter, and because he was no longer the owner, his character could not be basis for license revocation. Judge Bastian remanded the decision back to Meade County Commissioners. His instructions asked the Commissioners to reconsider their decision to revoke, based upon the new information that Allen would no longer be the “owner” of Sturgis County Line.

The Judge’s decision was shocking; he re-wrote legislation at the bench. This ruling sets precedence for anyone in South Dakota, if you lose your liquor license due to poor character, the simple solution is to sell to a partnership, disassociate yourself on paper, and your liquor license will be restored. The intriguing part of this decision was, as of the court hearing date on April 14, 2008, Jay Allen was still the current owner and President of Bear Butte Sunsets LLC/ Sturgis County Line. As of the hearing, the only legitimate change had been new management, since the "sale agreement" would not be final until May 3, 2008.

The Meade County Commissioner’s held an Executive Session Meeting on April 24, 2008. They unanimously voted to appeal Judge Bastian’s decision. It has been directed to South Dakota Supreme Court for further clarification, to determine if Judge Bastian had the legal authority to make such a decision. A court date will be scheduled in the upcoming months.

Target Companies marketing campaign is very aggressive. Plans were announced to open Sturgis County Line year round. Biker rally events are currently scheduled in June, July and in August for the annual Sturgis Rally. So far, over a thousand bikers are scheduled to attend each event in June and July. The concert venue will be moving forward and by next summer there may be a concert stadium within a mile of Bear Butte. With this new year- round expansion, it will virtually become impossible ALL summer, to pray in peace at Bear Butte. This issue has escalated and is now, more critical than ever.

A campaign is in progress to educate the bikers, in regards to the significance and protection for Bear Butte. This has been an on-going effort to create awareness over the past two years. People from across the nation have participated in reaching out to the bikers. It is through awareness that we can help make a difference with this issue. We have support from many people within the biker community but most people remain unaware of the struggle. Many bikers have stated they were not aware of the significance of Bear Butte previously, but will now support us and act accordingly.
We ask for respectful behavior from people who are near the mountain. We want to limit the noise, intrusive lighting, and alcohol consumption near the mountain.

In addition, we struggle with continuing development. There is land for sale, literally at the foot of the mountain that will likely be purchased by a developer for the purpose of erecting yet another summer party venue. This property lies between Northern Cheyenne lands and Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s lands where prayer is taking place. Land prices have skyrocketed, artificially inflated due to the prospect of money-making development. Purchase of land by Tribal Nations has become unrealistic. We are at a crossroads. We need your help before the mountain is lost to us forever.

For up to date information regarding the protection of sacred sites and the ongoing Bear Butte efforts, please visit our website(s) at www.ProtectBearButte.com or www.ProtectSacredSites.org.

We are continuing the struggle to Protect Bear Butte and hope you will join us in these efforts!

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

New Bear Butte Video

2008-05-08T23:32:00.000-06:00

Update on Bear Butte ~ Meade County Commissoners meeting 5/7/08

2008-05-07T19:38:00.001-06:00

Update on Bear Butte 5/7/08
By: Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director of Protect Sacred Sites & Protect Bear Butte
www.protectsacredsites.org and www.protectbearbutte.com

The Meade County Commissioners held their monthly meeting today, Target Logistics was on the agenda in regards to Sturgis County Line, LLC.

Attorney for Target Logistics, Jim Seward stated the following information:

• Attorneys above him made a decision to NOT go thru with the sale closure, but to proceed with a lease, due to the recent appeal of Judge Bastian’s decision.

• Target Logistics is assuming all non litigated liabilities for SCL (Sturgis County Line) and are prepared to immediately pay off the $120k in outstanding debts to the creditors.

• Jay Allen is “no longer running the place.”

• David Shue is the sole member and new General Manager for Sturgis County Line, LLC.

• There was NO guarantee that in the future T.L. would not give Jay Allen a percentage of stock in SCL, LLC.

• That T.L. was only purchasing SCL, LLC and not the Broken Spoke in Sturgis, or other venues that Jay Allen owns (this contradicts what was stated in court on April 14th)

• T.L. will be spending $1M in Meade County by this summer, including the recent purchase of a brand new truck from Ford. (Interesting how they purchased luxury items, before considering paying off the debts, they claim they would. This was also pointed out by Commissioner Dean Wink.)

Some details about Target Logistics:

They were founded in 1978 and have in excess of $50M in capital. Some of their clients include the Secret Service, the feds, and military.

Why would a company that focuses on these types of “clients,” be interested in SCL? There still has been no explanation for this question! This seems a little out of the ordinary to say the least.

Comments, concerns and issues raised by Commissioners:

Commissioner Mallow questioned the validity of the purchase agreement, stating as of today, T.L. and SCL have failed to provide any proof or evidence regarding the transfer documentation.

Commissioner Hammock stated none of this matters, it was all over last December as far as he is concerned. If T.L. wants a liquor license, they will have to apply for a new one.

Commissioner Wink stated that Jay Allen approached this situation like a “school yard bully,” picking on the most vulnerable people. That Allen continually stated, he was in the process of taking care of the outstanding debts and had other businesses in escrow, which would cover the debts and it would be taken care of. However he never came through, with what he said he would do. Wink stated that, Allen had ample warning what repercussions would take place if the debts were not resolved, considering last June his off-sale liquor license was revoked, due to the outstanding debts.

Where it stands at this time:

Meade County Commissioners filed the appeal on May 6, 2008 in Supreme Court. It is expected it will be heard by June 6th, if the Court will accept the appeal or not. If it is accepted, the process could take up to two years before a final decision is reached, between the appeals going back and forth.

Meade County Commissioner’s have the right to stop the appeal process, if desired. (Realistically, I don’t think they will, but I guess we never know)

IMPORTANT DATE!

June 5th at 3:30 p.m. Meade County Courthouse - off-sale alcohol liquor license renewals will be heard, including for SCL.

We need to pack the court with supporters and representatives from the Tribes for this hearing!

This issue is progressively getting worse and now, our struggle has gone from battling Jay Allen, to dealing with a huge multi-million dollar corporation. We need all of our supporters and the Tribes with interest surrounding Bear Butte, to PLEASE come and help continue this ongoing struggle to Protect Bear Butte.

PLEASE plan on attending the upcoming hearing on June 6th.

For CURRENT up to date info, hearings and action alerts regarding the Bear Butte issue, please visit our website at www.protectbearbutte.com .

We hope to see you all there!

"Bikers for Bear Butte"

2008-04-26T21:53:00.004-06:00

This letter is to all those well-meaning bikers who participate in the Sturgis Bike Rally in South Dakota, in August. We believe that the majority of you are not aware of the destruction the rally is causing to one of Indian peoples' most sacred sites, Bear Butte. Very few non-Indians know that for many centuries all the Tribes of the Great Plains worshipped and conducted sacred ceremonies at Bear Butte. It is a place for quiet prayers of thanksgiving and for seeking spiritual guidance with ancient ceremonies.

The spring and summer months through August, is when the Tribes travel to Bear Butte to conduct their annual ceremonies. These prayers and ceremonies do not stop simply because the rally has started. For the past few years there has been a continual encroachment of bars and venues heading towards the sacred mountain. Since the arrival of Sturgis County Line and other venues next to Bear Butte, traditional people are forced to pray with loud music from bars, mufflers and flashing strobe lights over the mountain, instead of praying in peace. In April 2008, Sturgis County Line announced they will be opening year-round and hosting many events throughout the summer. This will make it virtually impossible to pray in peace all summer long.

Most of you are probably unaware that returning Indian veterans of wars since before World War 1, have made their way to the sacred mountain to pray, fast and give thanks for their safe return. Most veterans wouldn't know that the Cheyenne Nation conducted ceremonies on Bear Butte during WW1, WW2, Korea and Viet Nam to insure the victory for American forces. Bear Butte is where our young men and women go to fast, to learn and to test themselves for adulthood. Bear Butte is where our holy men and women have gone to seek spiritual knowledge for as long as our tribal memories can see into the past. Even today in this new millennium, Bear Butte continues to be central to the spiritual and ceremonial lives of over thirty Indian Nations.

Indian people are becoming desperate to preserve even small portions of our once peaceful and remote, sacred places across America.

We ARE NOT trying to close or stop the Sturgis Bike Rally, or even interfere with all the various things that go on there. We are asking that the Federal, State and Local governments enact and enforce a buffer zone around Bear Butte, to restrict the sale of booze within the zone, make sure concerts and other extraneous noise, are kept away from the Mountain. To us that seems very minimal and reasonable, but our words have fallen on deaf ears once again and the county and state are allowing more and more destruction to happen--always closer to Bear Butte. It must be stopped.

It is now our hope that we can turn to the customers of the bike rally, the bikers themselves, to ask that they help us in our efforts. We ask all bikers to help us make attendees of the Sturgis Bike Rally, aware of our request and to help us encourage all the booze and concert venues too close to Bear Butte, to close down and move away. We are asking that all bikers boycott the "Broken Spoke Saloons" until they withdraw their bar away from Bear Butte!

We are asking that all "BIKERS FOR BEAR BUTTE" come together with Indian people to help us enact a buffer zone around Bear Butte and to help us inform all your brother and sister Bikers of the issue.

We pray there, we receive healing and learn our ancient ways of life there. We KNOW YOU respect Bear Butte and will stand by our side, in this struggle! We ask our biker brothers and sisters to help us PROTECT our SACRED MOUNTAIN.

HOW YOU CAN HELP AS A “BIKER FOR BEAR BUTTE”

• We would like to ask all Bikers for Bear Butte, to NOT patronize the “Sturgis County Line” Broken Spoke Campground, adjacent to Bear Butte!
• Help us spread the word throughout the biker community! Help us support a “buffer zone” around Bear Butte!
• Don’t ride 79! If you must, please be respectful and keep noise to a minimum, drive slowly while passing the area of Bear Butte.

For more information about our struggle, please visit us at
http://bikersforbearbutte.blogspot.com or www.ProtectBearButte.com

Bear Butte Update 4/23 ~ Meade County Commissoners vote to APPEAL!

2008-04-24T12:45:00.000-06:00

A quick update regarding Bear Butte:

On April 14, 2008 Judge Bastian remanded the decision back to the Meade County Commissioners in regards to the alcohol revocation of Jay Allen's, Sturgis County Line, LLC / Bear Butte Sunsets LLC.

At 8:30 this morning, April 24, 2008 the Meade County Commissioners unanimously voted to APPEAL Judge Bastian's decision. It has been directed to South Dakota Supreme Court for further clarification, if Judge Bastian had the legal authority to make such a decision.

Attorney Jim Seward and new General Manager David Shue were both present, representing the "new owners" Target Logistics.

In my conversation with them this morning, they both stated that Jay Allen was no longer "in the picture" and would be only involved with the promoting aspect of SCL, in addition to being the "master of ceremonies" for the rally. David Shue actually stated that Jay Allen is now working for him! Both Shue & Seward stated that they wanted to work with the local community and be "good neighbors." You all obviously know what my response that was!

I mentioned about the loud music, which could be heard from over a mile away and strobe lights going over the mountain all night long last year. David Shue said "what's the problem with strobe lights, they don't make any noise." My response was, well there are people that are on Bear Butte praying and having to listen to loud music and having lights flashing over the heads, while they are praying, there is something wrong in that picture. He responded, people are praying on Bear Butte during the rally? He just doesn't get it, just like Jay Allen.

Will keep you posted, when I hear about the court date.

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
www.protectbearbutte.com

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

BEAR BUTTE ISSUE MORE CRITICAL THAN EVER!

2008-04-23T20:35:00.003-06:00

www.ProtectSacredSites.org and www.ProtectBearButte.com

Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation is a grass roots organization, which works towards protecting our sacred sites across the country.

We are a local organization actively working on the Protection of Bear Butte, in South Dakota.

BEAR BUTTE ISSUE MORE CRITICAL THAN EVER!

SACRED SITES ARE WORTH THE FIGHT!

Greetings to all my relations,

I am writing to you today to alert you to the commercial desecration of land held sacred by nearly all the Plains American Indian Nations, Bear Butte. This blatant disregard for the spiritual beliefs and traditional and cultural treasure of thousands of people is evidenced by the continuing and mounting presence of bars, clubs, strobe lights, a proposed stadium, and other venues of crass commercial entertainment.

A brief background:

Bear Butte is a sacred site located eight miles west of Sturgis, South Dakota. It is registered as a National Historical Landmark. Bear Butte is sacred to the Plains Tribes, many continue to travel to the mountain each summer to pray and hold their annual ceremonies. Instead of praying in peace, traditional people are forced to pray with loud music from bars, mufflers and flashing strobe lights over the mountain.

For the past few years there has been a continual encroachment of bars and venues heading towards the sacred mountain. In the summer of 2006, the massive two story bar opened just one mile from the mountain, called Sturgis County Line. Their goal is to have a 50,000 seat concert stadium and a RV park, in addition to the newly built two story bar. The owner of this location, Jay Allen has been disrespectful from the start. He initially wanted to call the location “On Sacred Ground” and erect an 80-foot Indian statue pointing towards the sacred mountain. Of course this was not viewed lightly, there has been a major battle to shut Jay Allen down, ever since.

There have been several developments since the summer of 2006, expansions are in progress and things are potentially getting worse. On April 14, 2008, Jay Allen announced a new partnership with a travel corporation from Boston, MA. In addition to this new partnership, they announced their plans to open the Sturgis County Line, year round. Biker rally events are NOW scheduled in June, July and August for the Sturgis Rally. So far, over a thousand bikers are scheduled to attend each event in June and July. The concert venue will be moving forward, by next summer they could have a 50,000 seat concert stadium, one mile from Bear Butte! With this new year round expansion, it will virtually become impossible ALL summer, to pray in peace at Bear Butte. This issue has escalated and is now, more critical than ever. We are continuing the struggle to Protect Bear Butte and hope you will join us in these efforts!

What YOU can do to help!

Help us create awareness for the continual desecration of sacred sites, including Bear Butte. Get actively involved! Take Action!

Help spread the word! The goal is to create public awareness across the country about desecration of our sacred sites! Being proactive and creating awareness, is one of the many ways, WE EACH can help to make a difference.

Join our Bear Butte Working Group! We need pro-active, dedicated people who are willing to help in this continual struggle. Email us to find out how YOU can help Protect Bear Butte!

Talk with as MANY BIKERS as you can! Ask for their support on this issue, to not endorse Jay Allen’s Sturgis County Line. The motto is Bikers for Bear Butte!
Sign up for our email updates! We send out announcements, updates, action alerts, upcoming meetings, hearings and information about current status.

Contact us at info@ProtectBearButte.com

Meade County faces decision on County Line rally venue

2008-04-21T21:24:00.000-06:00

Meade County faces decision on County Line rally venue
New owners may open bar beyond rally
By Kevin Woster, Journal staff Monday, April 21, 2008
8 comment(s) Normal Size Increase font Size

The Meade County Commission is scheduled to decide this week whether to challenge a circuit court ruling directing it to reconsider its denial of a liquor license for the controversial Sturgis County Line rally venue.

Commissioner Dean Wink said Saturday that the commission will convene at about 8 a.m. Thursday and go into executive session to decide whether to appeal the decision by Circuit Court Judge John Bastian. The other option is for them to proceed with reconsideration of the liquor license for Sturgis County Line, as Bastian has directed them to do.

"Basically, it's going to go in one of two directions," Wink said. "We'll either decide to appeal to the South Dakota Supreme Court or we'll set up a public hearing for people to comment on what we do next."

The commission refused in December to renew the County Line liquor license because of outstanding bills owed by owner Jay Allen. Allen appealed the decision, and Bastian ruled following a hearing last week that a pending ownership transfer of the Sturgis County Line required the commission to reconsider its liquor-license denial.

Officials for Target Logistic of Boston testified that they are buying controlling interest in the venue, which is located northeast of Sturgis within a mile and a half from Bear Butte, as well as the Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis and similar properties in other states.

Bastian determined that because ownership changed the commission must reconsider the liquor license issue. Meade County Commission Chairman Bob Mallow of Black Hawk said the commission will discuss the potential legal issue in executive session, then reconvene to take official action in public.

"If we make the decision to have a hearing, then there'll be public input. We'll set up a hearing," Mallow said. "Normally when you go for a liquor license, location and character are the only two things you can deny for. In this case, we're saying it was character."

If the commission agrees to proceed with a license hearing for Target Logistics, the "character" question will be reviewed in regard to the new owners, Mallow said.

Target Logistics President Joe Murphy said he's ready for that, and for the responsibilities that will come with taking over the Sturgis County Line and Allen's other businesses. He'll also take on some of Allen's outstanding bills, once the transfer is final May 1.

Allen will remain with the business as entertainment promoter for events during the Sturgis rally and at other times during the year.

"We want to make a commitment to South Dakota and Sturgis that we're going to be good citizens," Murphy said. "We're going to expand the use of this facility to year-round use."

That troubles some critics of County Line, including Bear Butte area resident Tamra Brennan, founder of Protect Sacred Sites as Indigenous People, One Nation. The organization opposes development that threatens the spiritual qualities of Bear Butte, which is a sacred ceremony site for the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and other Native Americans.

Brennan said the plans for extending Sturgis County Line events beyond the August rally season are particularly worrisome.

"If he goes and starts doing these big concert venues and other rallies in June, July and August, when are the people who come to the butte going to be able to perform their ceremonies?" Brennan said. "There is not going to be any peace and quiet when people choose to go up there and pray."

Brennan also said it's premature to remand the license issue back to the commission based on a company transfer that isn't yet finished.

"The new owners shouldn't even count at this point, since they're not even the new owners yet," she said.

Murphy said the deal is all but done, barring some unforeseen adversity.

"In our minds, it's a done deal," he said. "We've committed people. We've committed money. We're going to commit much more."

Murphy said he is willing to hear and work, as much as possible, with those opposed to the location of Sturgis County Line in proximity to Bear Butte.

"It's definitely something we've weighed. I've spoken to some of the people involved and told them we'll be happy to make any reasonable accommodations if we can," Murphy said. "If they're not going to be happy until we leave, we'll have trouble making an accommodation."

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com.

If you go

Who: Meade County Commission

What: Meeting on whether to reconsider Sturgis County Line liquor license

When: 8 a.m. Thursday

Where: Meade County Courthouse commission room

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/04/21/news/local/doc480ab9a34cab9201768454.txt

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
http://bearbutte.blogspot.com/

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

__._,_.___

Invitation to the Bear Butte Forum May 3rd

2008-04-19T12:22:00.000-06:00

Invitation to the Bear Butte Forum

The next meeting of the Bear Butte Forum is scheduled for Saturday, May, 3 from 8:30 a.m. to noon MST. The Forum will meet at the Sturgis Community Center located at 1401 Lazelle Street in Sturgis, South Dakota. Participants are responsible to make their own lodging and meal arrangements.

The Forum is an opportunity to get an update about Bear Butte and to share ideas for improvements. Each year the hope is that every tribe that has a spiritual connection to the mountain be represented at the Forum. This meeting is open to the public. Please invite others you think would like to attend.

Tentative Agenda
Reports
Volunteer work groups
Visitation numbers
Discussion Items
Conservation easement
Procedures if there is a fire ban in 2008 due to drought
Education Center Expansion
Land sales around the mountain
Presentation about 2008 Historical Preservation Nominee

--

Action Alert! Bear Butte ~ Letters of appeal needed by April 23rd!

2008-04-19T12:21:00.001-06:00

Please forward to your lists in it's entirety, do not modify or edit. Thank-you!

*begin

ACTION ALERT!

Please send this sample letter that I wrote, or create your own letter highlighting the points stated, to the Meade County Commissioners, in regards to Jay Allen's bar Sturgis County Line at Bear Butte. Letters must be received by April 23rd, 5:00pm MTN Time.

For more information, or updates about the Bear Butte issue, please visit our website(s).

If you have any questions, please feel to email me directly at Tamra@ProtectSacredSites.org.

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
http://bearbutte.blogspot.com/

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Copy and paste this letter into a separate email. Please don't forget to sign your legal name at the bottom!

Deadline is Wednesday April 23, 2008 by 5:00 MTN Time

Subject line: Appeal Judge Bastan's decision

To Meade County Commissioners

Lisa Schieffer
Meade County Auditor
1425 Sherman Street
Sturgis, SD 57785

Phone: 605-347-2360
Fax: 605-347-5925
Email: meade@meadecounty.org

Dear Meade County Commissioners,

Please stand by your decision on December 5th to revoke Jay Allen's liquor license for Sturgis County Line. The recent ruling of Judge Bastian to remand the decision back to the Meade County Commissioners, was shocking. This decision sets a precedence for anyone in South Dakota, if they loose their liquor license, the simple solution is, sell to a partnership and your liquor license will be restored. What message does this send to license holders to abide by the law!

The denial was based upon Jay Allen's character, that he was not a suitable person to hold the liquor license. As of the court hearing date on April 14, 2008, Jay Allen IS STILL the current owner and President of Bear Butte Sunsets LLC/ Sturgis County Line. This recent maneuver of Jay Allen is a very clear ploy to get his license re-instated illegally. As of the court hearing the only change has been new management, since the "sale agreement" will not be final until May 3, 2008.

"SDCL 35-2-6.2 defines the character requirements for licensee which demands good moral character and that the licensee have no felony convictions. These requirements apply to managing officers if the licensee is a corporation."

Has there been an investigation and background checks for the new management, David Shue and "potential new owners" Target Logistics Company, President Joe Murphy, that they are "suitable" to acquire the liquor license?

Please require Bear Butte Sunsets LLC & Sturgis County Line to follow the law as it is written. Do not allow them to control our court systems and have legislation written at the bench, on their behalf!

Jay Allen has proven repeatedly, to be of bad character with his development of Sturgis County Line.

Please do the right thing, appeal Judge Bastan's decision.

Thank you for your consideration,

Sign your legal name and address here

Bear Butte ~ Sturgis County Line Bar has new owner

2008-04-15T12:31:00.000-06:00

I have spoken with the States Attorney and the Meade County Commissioners Office again this morning. There will be a CLOSED legal hearing on April 24th at 8:15, this will be for the legal council and the MCC only. It appears they will not be conducting a "public hearing" for us to make statements or address any concerns and/or issues. I am still gong to try to get my statement included, in regards to my direct conversation with these new owners, and their conflicting stories about how this new ownership came about.

Will keep you all posted as we go.

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra

County Line Bar has new owner
By Bill Cissell, Meade County Times editor Monday, April 14, 2008
36 comment(s) Normal Size Increase font Size

A Fourth Circuit Court decision Monday approved a change of ownership for the County Line Bar, subject to approval by the Meade County Commission.

But critics of former owner Jay Allen said Monday they were surprised and dismayed by the court’s decision and pledged to challenge the process again before the county commission.

“I’m very shocked that the judge made this decision, so quickly,” Bear Butte resident Tamra Brennan said. “I think this is really quite convenient that all of a sudden Jay Allen has sold or went into partnership with another company at the same time all this was going on, to avoid the revocation of the alcohol permit.”

In December, the commissioners rejected the renewal application for an on-sale liquor license of current bar owner, Jay Allen, citing character issues. A number of local contractors that did work for Allen at his bar north of Bear Butte, claimed Allen had not paid them.

The new owner, Joe Murphy and Target Logistics, Boston, Mass., said they had a binding agreement with Allen to assume majority ownership of Allen’s holdings in Sturgis; Laconia, N.H., and Daytona, Fla., which would take effect on or about May 1.

According to Meade County Assistant State’s Attorney Ken Chleborad, the county decision would take at least three weeks. He said the county would have to have a meeting to set a hearing date, publish that date and then wait for at least 10 days before holding the hearing.

Brennan, founder of Protect Sacred Sites, Indigenous People One Nation, said she was stunned that a scheduled two-day court hearing was over in less than half a day. Nancy Hilding of Black Hawk, a spokeswoman for the Prairie Hills Chapter of the Audubon Society, said the court seemed to be “legislative from the bench.”

“If a government entity refuses to reissue a license because of character concerns, they find another owner and the county has to look at its refusal to reissue? You’re allowing everybody who gets their license yanked the ability to appeal, go out and find a new owner and get another chance.”

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/04/14/news/local/doc480373d52c5cb268862705.txt

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra
www.protectsacredsites.org
http://bearbutte.blogspot.com/

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Bear Butte ~ Jay Allen liquor license back at County Commission

2008-04-14T21:57:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone,

Wanted to give you all a update on what happened today at the Meade County Court Hearing in regards to Jay Allen's Sturgis County Line.

Looks like we will be potentially continuing the battle. Jay Allen is pulling a fast one here to say the least. I actually spoke with this supposed "new owner" Joe Murphy and Target Companies on April 3rd, he stated to me that nothing had been formalized as far as actual partnership with Jay Allen, but it was being discussed. Interesting, to find out that he had signed a MOU with Jay Allen on February 26th and paid him $40k. That appears to be a partnership, so why did he lie to me? Or is it just another game that is being played out by Allen? I think we know the answer to that one! He knew that the regulations stipulated that any change of ownership, would be entitled to apply for the alcohol permit. If the Meade County Commissioners decide to continue the revocation, all Target Companies has to do is purchase one of the existing licenses ,that are currently for sale. Either way, they win.

Judge Bastian's decision was illegal. What he has done is write legislation at the bench, he cant do that! He has set a precedence, that if you get your license revoked, all you have to do is sell part of your business and partner with someone and you simply get it back! Now, keep in mind that this if upheld, it will not only apply to Jay Allen, this outcome could potentially effect all of South Dakota. If this was taken to a higher court to fight, the judge would immediately dismiss the ruling today, because it is not legal.

So, now its up to the Meade County Commissioners to make the "final" decision. That public hearing should be within the next 7-10 days. I attempted to speak with the State Atty this afternoon, but he wasn't available. So I will follow up with them tomorrow to see if the file has been released to the MCC, to set the public hearing date. I am also going to talk with Dean Wink tomorrow, he is our commissioner for the Bear Butte District. See what info he provides about the next steps, they will take.

The MCC will have to address several issues, including the outstanding bills to local contractors that are still owed. This is the issue that resulted in the on-sale alcohol revocation on December 5th.

Once I have the date, I will keep you all posted. I will be there to testify as well on behalf of the BB issue, and the conversation that I personally had with the "new owner" Target Company.

The next issue is, Jay Allen is expanding and is planning two additional biker rallies, which will take place at Sturgis County Line, in June and July. So, now its not just a rally issue, Jay Allen will be at this all summer! In both June & July, there will be dozens of people participating in ceremony on Bear Butte.

The next step for us is, we will be submitting a initiative for the Meade County, November ballot requesting protection for Bear Butte. We will be pounding the pavement to gather sig's and can use help! So, if you live nearby and can help, please contact me directly.

Below is a article from Hazel, it will provide additional details. The Rapid City Journal has a article coming out tomorrow, will post that once its up.

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org
http://bearbutte.blogspot.com/

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra

www.ProtectSacredSites.org
http://bearbutte.blogspot.com/

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

http://www.myspace.com/protectsacredsites
Also, join our yahoo group at Protecting our Ancestors & Sacred Sites

Jay Allen liquor license back at County Commission
Bastian remanded failure to issue
By Hazel Bonner

Sturgis - A hearing was held before Judge John Bastian at the Meade County Courthouse in Sturgis on April 14. His decision after hearing from Jay Allen and two witnesses speaking on his behalf, was to remand it back to the County Commission based on new information. Deputy States Attorney Ken Chleborad represented the Meade County Commission. Paul Winters, Rapid City represented Allen. Allen appealed the denial of the Liquor License and was the appellant in this case against the Meade County Commissioners.

Joseph Murphy testified for a company known as Target Logistics (TL). He stated that he met Allen in 2003 and considers him a personal friend. The relationship has changed since Allen came to him to seek assistance with the Sturgis County Line (SCL).

He said that they have begun planning for business for this year. Those plans include plans for the Combat Veterans Motor Cycle Club to have a Rally at the County Line in June and further for a Special Forces Veterans Rally and an All Forces Rally in July or prior to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Allen had informed him that he had major debts owed for the construction of SCL and that those needed to be paid. He also said that he owed money for at least two other businesses in states outside of South Dakota. .

Murphy said that David Shoe has been hired as General Manager of the SCL. County Line with eventual ownership with Target Logistics. Allen would retain a minority ownership of the business.

A binding Letter of Agreement was signed by Allen on February 26, 2008. Murphy then went into a due diligence period during which he looked at whether there were any major environmental problems. The sale of the SCL may be finalized on or about May 1.

Allen received $40,000 shortly after the signing. He will receive another payment in May. That money was paid out for debts owed by Allen to his businesses. It appears that no money has gone to any businesses in the Sturgis Area.. Though a check may have recently been sent to a Sturgis person owed by Allen.

Checks were issued by TL directly to businesseho at the request of Allen. The money has been paid out by TL to other businesses in other states owed money by Allen. All the $40,000 has been distributed.

Two businesses, the Bear Butte Sunset, L.L.C. and Sturgis County Line L.L.C. are involved. One owns the land and the other the business, though Murphy was not sure which was which.

David Shoe, Sturgis, testified that he has been hired as the General Manager of SCL. He was in charge of U.S. operations in Afghanistan and prior to that was employed by Blackwater. He was a Social Studies teacher at the Middle School level before going overseas.
As an employee of TL he oversees all operations of their properties. He became General Manager of SCL on March 14. He too considers Allen a friend.
Allen testified the he had become acquainted with Shoe at Daytona and has known him for five years. He also testified that the sale to TL will not close until on or about May 1.

Allen received the SCL liquor license from Schoenrock Arch/Inc./Mad Mary's on June 9, 2006. He had received a Malt Beverage license in the spring of 2006. In June 2007 his Malt Beverage license was not renewed. On December 5, 2007 his retail (on-
Sale) liquor license was denied by the Commission.
Allen was the last witness for the appellant. Winters requested that the Judge remand the decision back to the Commission for a decision based on new information.

Chleborad asked Bastian to dismiss based on the case being moot.

Chleborad said that not enough information had been provided at the hearing for the Commission to reconsider the license of Allen. No new owner has actually replaced Allen and that will not happen until at least May 1.

Bastian ruled following the final arguments that he had the discretion to remand the case back to the Commission. A reliable source said that the decision may be heard at a public meeting. Call Meade County Commissioners at 605-347-2360 to find out about a public meeting. A copy of agendas and minutes is on the Meade Couty website at http://www.meadecounty.org.

Submitted by Hazel Bonner
PO Box 3712
Rapid City, SD
bonpidge@gwtc.net

Update: Jay Allen appealing license revocation - Meade County hearing April 14 & 15

2008-04-10T18:20:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,

Jay Allen is appealing the Meade County Commissioners decision regarding the Sturgis County Line alcohol license revocation. The court hearing is sceduled for 9am on April 14th & 15th at the main courthouse at the Meade County Commissioners building. Jay Allen's testmony and evidence will be on the 14th, the State Atty's evidence and witnesses are scheduled for the 15th.

I spoke with the States Attorneys Office in Sturgis today. There are three separate issues that are being addressed at this court hearing, all three are realted to the alcohol license revocation issue. The following is what is being disputed by Jay Allen and his attorney.
The Meade County Commissioners hearing held in December, (in which they revoked the Sturgis County Line alcohol on-sale permit), was conducted poorly and unfairly.
Is being a bad busness person, grounds to revoke the alcohol permit?
If so, is Jay Allen a bad business person?
If the judge finds that the Meade County Commissoners decision to revoke was unjustified, he can re-consider and re-instate Jay Allen's on-sale liquor license for this coming rally.
The States Attorney stated that the judge will not be making a decision at the end of the court testimony. The two sides must submit a written closing aguement instead of a verbal closing, at the end of the hearing. The judges deciosn could potentially take up to two or three months. This means that we may not know if the Sturgis County Line will be in fact selling alcohol or not, until possibly July. This doesnt leave us much time to get a game plan together, again for this summer, if it is re-instated. We need to set up a planning meeting sometime soon.

Jay Allen's off-sale liquor license renewal comes up again in June. If the judge upholds the decision to revoke his license and his renewal in June is also dened, he will not be able to sell any alcohol (on sale or off sale) at Sturgis County Line. So, this decision could be a huge factor!

It is a public court hearing, so folks can attend. I would suggest calling in the early morning, the day of the meeting, just to confirm the status, it could be all day, it could be half-day.

Meade County Court & Commissioners Office contact info is:

1425 Sherman St
Sturgis, SD
605-347-2360

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Writing campaign: Update on Bear Butte ~ Jay Allen's Sturgis County Line

2008-04-03T10:45:00.000-06:00

Please cross post and forward to your lists. Help spread the word!

Update on Jay Allen's "Sturgis County Line." According to the press release below, taken from his website, he has teamed up with The Target Companies, which is a travel corporation of five companies. Wonder if they are aware of the Bear Butte issue and the continual fight to shut him down! Well.......they are about to find out, if they don't already know!

Time for a writing campaign folks!

Please contact Brian Lash, CEO of Target Companies at the address, phone or email listed below. In your letters, alert them to the issue, background, that Bear Butte is a sacred mountain and that we will continue to battle this issue until the Sturgis County Line and the other bars surrounding Bear Butte are shut down permanently! Please be courteous in your letters, ask them to re-consider partnering and endorsing Jay Allen. Ask them to please consider our Religious Freedom, the right to pray in peace, these types of venues do not belong at a sacred site and do they want to partner with someone whose character is beyond questionable, not to mention deplorable!

To keep updated about the Bear Butte issue and sacred sites, please visit our website at www.protectsacredsites.org or our blog for Bear Butte at http://bearbutte.blogspot.com/ . There is a map on the website of all of the different bars and concert venues surrounding Bear Butte.

We have to continue to keep up the fight! By encouraging this company to reconsider and hopefully they will, we could put another dent in Jay Allen and his pocketbook! Each and every step matters and helps to make a difference!

Thank you everyone for all your help to protect Bear Butte!

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
Founder/Director
Protect Sacred Sites Indigenous People, One Nation
www.protectsacredsites.org

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"

Contact:

T h e T a r g e t C o m p a n i e s / 4 6 B i r m i n g h a m P a r k w a y B o s t o n , M A 0 2 1 3 5 / 6 1 7 - 5 6 2 - 1 3 0 0
info@itravelsolutions.com

Media Alert
Chrome Marketing
Darcy Betlach
952.470.4297
SWIMSUITS REQUIRED, SUNBLOCK OPTIONAL
The Broken Spoke Saloon and The Target Companies Team Up to create the World's Greatest Biker Campground with the World's Largest Biker Pool!
Sturgis, South Dakota- The legendary Broken Spoke Saloon, the world's largest biker bar, has teamed up with The Target Companies, who have built camps all over the globe. Now, for 2008 the two companies have combined to bring you the best biker party in Sturgis with the convenience of a world class campground featuring all the amenities needed to make your trip memorable and hassle free... not to mention offering you the first dip in the biggest, most fun biker pool in the country!

The Broken Spoke Saloon and the Target Companies are turning the 600-acre Broken Spoke Campground located in Sturgis, SD off of HWY 79, into the best place to camp in 2008 and beyond. The all-new biker pool will be the home of daily bikini contests, feature swim up bars, decks, live music and killer food. Swim or sun at the Broken Spoke... it's your call. The Broken Spoke campground offers the most hassle free experience in the state with 500 over-sized, 50amp RV spots, a general store with everything you need to make your trip a breeze (including swimwear in case you forget), top quality, hot showers staffed to ensure cleanliness and comfort, great food, walk in humidor, and free shuttle service to the downtown Broken Spoke location on Lazelle Street - all of which ultimately delivers the best party in Sturgis.

The campground is taking reservations now and will operate from August 1 - 10, 2008. Special early reservations apply... only $99/person until June 15th. Book now at www.brokenspokecampground.com or call us at 1-888-284-8280 to receive the early booking discount , plus the first 2000 reservations receive a FREE commemorative pin!

"Coming to Sturgis over 20 years ago, my dream was to do exactly this. Offer my friends a ride through bar, a swim in my pool, cold beer and the ability to hang out with the hottest ladies in Sturgis. The all new Broken Spoke Campground is my dream; only now it is finally here. This will be the Sturgis of your life, come stay with us and find out what else we have up our sleeve" said Jay Allen, owner of the Broken Spoke Saloons.

"Since 1998 when we built Harley-Davidson's first campground, Riders Ranch, in Milwaukee we have been looking for something like the Broken Spoke property to enable us to continue doing what we love- creating a permanent campground for bikers with the greatest amenities available, including green choices making your stay one that doesn't leave a negative impact on the area. Jay had the ultimate vision for the campground, and the Target Companies job is to bring the vision to life while providing campers the ultimate camping experience. Our experience doing this at the 95th and 100th Anniversaries for Harley-Davidson were dry runs for what we are about to do in Sturgis" explained Target Companies' CEO Brian Lash.

The original Broken Spoke Saloon has a permanent bar and restaurant in downtown Sturgis, SD and additional locations nationally in Daytona, FL, Myrtle Beach, SC and Laconia, NH.

The Boston based Target Companies, including Target Logistics, Target Sport Adventures, iTravel Solutions, Air Planning and Target Travel were founded in 1978 and have managed complete housing and travel programs for the 95th and 100th Harley-Davidson anniversaries, Woodstock '94 & '99, eight Olympic games, four Super Bowls, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Langerado and Vegoose music festivals and has designed, built and operated temporary living complexes in Iraq, Athens, Greece, Milwaukee, New Orleans and Arizona.

For more information on either company, please visit their websites at:

http://www.brokenspokecampground.com

http://www.thetargetcompanies.com

2008-04-02T20:02:00.002-06:00

HOW IT ALL BEGAN!!!!!!!!!!! STEALING THE BLACK HILLS!

August 23, 1874, Wednesday

THE BLACK HILLS EXPEDITION.; THE COMMAND AT BEAR BUTTE--GLOWING REPORTS OF THE NEW COUNTRY. GEN. CUSTER'S REPORT.
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August 23, 1874, Wednesday

Page 1, 455 words

ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 22.--A telegram from Bismarck conveys a dispatch from the special correspondent of the Daily Press with Custer's Black Hills expedition: [ END OF FIRST PARAGRAPH ]

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9800E2D7143BEF34BC4B51DFBE66838F669FDE

Cheyenne and Arapaho Revisited' at Denver March

2008-04-02T17:44:00.000-06:00

Cheyenne and Arapaho Revisited' at Denver March

Posted: March 31, 2008
by: Carol Berry
Click to Enlarge

Photo by Carol Berry -- Quinton Roman Nose, director of the education department at Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal College
DENVER - The northern and southern bands of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal nations came together March 21 at the Denver March Pow Wow in a historic meeting termed ''Cheyenne and Arapaho Revisited.'' The event was the brainchild of Quinton Roman Nose, director of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal College education department. ''We decided it was time we reasserted our right to our tribal knowledge, to teach it to our children,'' said Henrietta Mann, interim president of the tribal college located in Weatherford, Okla. She called the meeting a ''coming together.'' ''We are here as the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe of Oklahoma. We are here as the Northern Arapaho of Wyoming. We are here as the Northern Cheyenne from Montana. And as the Gros Ventre [a closely affiliated tribe] from Montana,'' she said. ''What a wonderful meeting.'' Northern and southern bands of the tribes separated in the mid-19th century with the incursion of increasing numbers of white settlers in the West and because of aggression on the part of the U.S. military. Denver - particularly the Cherry Creek and Denver International Airport areas - is in the original territory of the Cheyenne and Arapaho and is ''the land our ancestors walked on,'' Mann said in a keynote address. ''We're attached to this land every bit as much as plants that grow on this Earth.'' The conference, a first, drew more than 100 tribal members from Oklahoma, reservation areas of Wyoming and Montana, and elsewhere. In addition to the tribal college, sponsors included the education departments of Chief Dull Knife College in Montana and Wind River Tribal College in Wyoming, whose interim president, Marlin Spoonhunter, urged listening to the ''way of our ancestors, because they never gave up.'' Arapaho children may know their language early in life, but it is gradually lost in the public school system. ''One thing that kept the tribes together was the language,'' he said. ''We have a lot of work ahead of us.'' Bear Butte, a mountain near Sturgis, S.D., on the periphery of the Black Hills, was the topic of a presentation by Mann and her daughter, Montoya Whiteman, Cheyenne-Arapaho, associate director of training and technical assistance with the First Nations Development Institute in Longmont, Colo. They stressed the preservation of Bear Butte as a sacred site because it is the origin of Cheyenne culture, language and values, although today it is ''desecrated and violated.'' Mann recounted the story of Sweet Medicine, born to a virgin and left as a baby in what was described as reeds. He was said to have been raised by an old woman and banished from the tribe after a crime of violence. After four years, he emerged from present-day Bear Butte preceded by a powerful spirit who burned sweetgrass to purify the world. Cheyenne traditional tribal government, military societies, code of law, rules of conduct and prophecies are attributed to him. Holy earth spirits of Bear Butte designed the Cheyenne way, and ''all that is culturally Cheyenne originated there,'' she said. ''The mountain protects us.'' Bear Butte, a South Dakota state park and national landmark, is also sacred to Sioux nations as well as to the Kiowa, Arapaho and others, she said. ''It is a spiritually generous place.'' Human artifacts from 10,000 years ago have been found on Bear Butte, which is the source of ceremonial paints and animal life. Despite powerful storms, it is ''a peaceful and serene place'' for Cheyenne people who ''live in a spirit-filled world,'' she said. Whiteman said contemporary threats to the sanctity of Bear Butte include economic development, various types of pollution, human desecration and danger to animals. Threats to religious freedom on the mountain include the sound of gunfire from a nearby shooting range and noise from human activity that disturbs those engaged in prayers and vigils that require silent surroundings. The annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis that attracts thousands of bikers from across the United States is a major source of income for the area, so it has been difficult to enact protections for Bear Butte that could threaten income from the noisy event, she said. Nevertheless, South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds has proposed a perpetual easement around Bear Butte to protect against development there, she said, urging interested people to contact the governor, Meade County commissioners, State Sen. Theresa Two Bulls or the organizations that are working to assist preservation. Those organizations include the South Dakota Peace and Justice Center, the Intertribal Coalition to Defend Bear Butte, Lakota Action Network, Bear Butte International Alliance, the Association of Christian Churches of South Dakota, the Seventh Generation Fund and the Indian Law Resource Center. ''Do that for your children,'' she said, ''because they're the ones that are going to have to carry the charge of protecting Bear Butte.'' Other sessions in the two-day conference covered language, tribal surveys, and oral and written history.http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416933

2008-04-02T00:31:00.001-06:00

HOUSE BILL NO. 1275

2008-01-23T22:44:00.000-07:00

State of South Dakota
EIGHTY-THIRD SESSION
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, 2008

400P0688 HOUSE BILL NO. 1275

Introduced by: The Committee on Appropriations at the request of the Office of the Governor

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to make an appropriation for a portion of the costs related to the acquisition of easements adjacent to Bear Butte State Park and to declare an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. There is hereby appropriated from the general fund the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($ 250,000 ), or so much thereof as may be necessary, and five hundred ninety- three thousand seven hundred seventy-seven dollars ($593,777), or so much thereof as may be necessary, of federal fund expenditure authority, and three hundred forty-three thousand seven hundred seventy-seven dollars ($343,777), or so much thereof as may be necessary, of other fund expenditure to the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks for a portion of the costs related to the acquisition of easements adjacent to Bear Butte State Park located in Meade County, South Dakota.
Section 2. The secretary of the Department of Game, Fish and Parks shall approve vouchers and the state auditor shall draw warrants to pay expenditures authorized by this Act.
Section 3. Any amounts appropriated in this Act not lawfully expended or obligated shall
revert in accordance with the procedures prescribed in chapter 4-8.
Section 4. Whereas, this Act is necessary for the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, and this Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.

http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2008/Bills/HB1275P.htm

South Dakota governor moves to protect Bear Butte

2007-12-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

South Dakota governor moves to protect Bear Butte
Posted: December 31, 2007
by: The Associated Press

David Melmer Indian Country -- South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds has proposed using state, federal and private money to buy a perpetual easement that would prevent commercial and residential development of some land on the western side of Bear Butte.
By Chet Brokaw -- Associated Press

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - For centuries, members of the Lakota, Cheyenne and other American Indian tribes have been climbing Bear Butte to fast and hold religious ceremonies.

Colorful prayer cloths hanging from trees line the path to the top of the mountain, which rises about 1,300 feet above the surrounding plain.

But often, and especially in August, the serenity of the site is disturbed by a deafening roar, caused by thousands of motorcycles.

Indians have sought for years to block development of land around the butte into campgrounds, bars and other sites that could interfere with their religious use of the mountain. Now they have an ally in the governor.

Gov. Mike Rounds wants to spend more than $1 million to prevent developers from putting biker bars and other noisy businesses on ranch land near the mountain on the northern edge of the Black Hills.

Saying he wants to protect the beauty and peace of the religious site, Rounds has proposed using state, federal and private money to buy a perpetual easement that would prevent commercial and residential development of some land on the western side of Bear Butte.

Indians working to protect Bear Butte praise the Republican governor's plan.

''Any kind of assistance from anybody in preserving the butte is welcome,'' said Gene Blue Arm, a Cheyenne River Sioux tribal member who has sought to limit development near the religious site.

''It's good of him,'' Blue Arm said. ''I think it's a good deal.''

Dean Wink, a member of the Meade County Commission, said he opposes a perpetual easement that would block all future owners from considering other uses for the land. But he said he could support an easement that prohibits development for a decade or two.

''Forever is a long time,'' Wink said.

The governor made only a brief mention of the plan in his budget speech to the South Dakota Legislature, which is being asked to approve an emergency special spending measure for Bear Butte. The easement could help calm some worries about the mountain, Rounds said.

Details will not be available until the legislative session opens in January, but it might cost up to $1 million to get the easement, State Parks Director Doug Hofer said.

Rounds' plan would use $250,000 in state money, to be matched with $344,000 in private donations and a $594,000 grant from a federal program that protects agricultural land, to buy a perpetual conservation easement on some ranch land on Bear Butte's west side.

Named Mato Paha, or Bear Mountain, because it resembles a sleeping bear lying on its side, it was formed by volcanic rock that never erupted and was then exposed when surrounding land eroded.

The butte and the land immediately around it are in a state park that was sold to the state of South Dakota in 1962 for $50,000. Because of the growth of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August, land values in the area have skyrocketed.

In recent years, Indians have gathered at Bear Butte and nearby Sturgis during the rally to protest motorcycle noise, loud concerts and alcoholic consumption near the mountain.

The 2007 Legislature rejected a measure seeking to ban the issuance of liquor or beer licenses within four miles of the boundaries of the state park after lawmakers said they did not want to interfere with private property rights.

Wink said he expects the Legislature will have a good discussion on the governor's easement plan, but local residents believe the issue should be handled locally.

''They just think the private property rights and local control are more important,'' the county commissioner said.

Some also have questioned whether tax money should be used for such an easement, Wink said.

But Blue Arm said the sacred mountain must be protected.

''I'm saying yes to anything to stop further development around the butte,'' Blue Arm said. ''In a ceremony or in prayer, there needs to be a solitude.''

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416379

Protest organizers plan smaller Bear Butte presence

2007-08-13T18:30:00.000-06:00

Protest organizers plan smaller Bear Butte presence
Posted: August 13, 2007
by: The Associated Press
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - American Indians again plan to have a presence at the upcoming Sturgis Motorcycle Rally to protest motorcycle noise, loud music and alcohol consumption around Bear Butte, but the gathering will likely be smaller. Last year, Indians from around the United States and at least one other country confronted bikers in Sturgis, then walked to the natural land mass outside of town that they consider sacred. For centuries, Indians from various tribes have come to the butte to pray, fast and hold religious ceremonies. They say noise from the bars and campgrounds disrupts the peace, and they want bikers to avoid those places. Alex White Plume, former president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, is again organizing this year's protest with his wife, but without issuing an invitation to other tribes. ''Last year we invited many nations. But this year we want people to come on their own,'' he said. There's a gathering planned in Rapid City and an encampment at the base of Bear Butte on land owned by the Northern Cheyenne Tribe along Highway 79, he said. ''Within 4 miles we want to stop all alcohol sales and loud noise and desecration,'' White Plume said. Efforts to pass such a buffer zone have failed at the county commission and Legislature. Tamra Brennan of Sturgis, a member of the committee organizing the encampment, said it should not be considered a protest action. ''We're not going to do any marches or things like that,'' she said. ''This is not a protest at all. It's strictly a peaceful prayer camp.'' Since the 2006 rally, alcohol licenses for several businesses that operate between Sturgis and Bear Butte during the motorcycle rally were renewed by the Meade County Commission. A license for one place that was at the center of last year's protest was not. Commissioners said they didn't renew the offsite beer license for Sturgis County Line because of unpaid and late payments to construction contractors. The owner, Jay Allen, can't apply for another year. He will be able to serve alcohol that's consumed at the bar, but can't sell it for offsite consumption. Allen also owns the Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis. At the June commission hearing, Allen said by telephone that the Sturgis County Line project has been a financial headache, and that some contractors overcharged or didn't finish their jobs. Allen's representative told commissioners that he is selling his Broken Spoke saloons in New Hampshire and Florida and taken on partners at his Broken Spoke in downtown Sturgis.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415568

Broken Spoke owner leaves unpaid bills

2007-06-06T21:53:00.000-06:00

Broken Spoke owner leaves unpaid bills Contractors ask Meade County Commission to suspend beer license
By Dan Daly, Journal staff Wednesday, June 06, 2007

STURGIS - Broken Spoke Saloon owner Jay Allen, who built the controversial Sturgis County Line rally venue north of Bear Butte last year, has a new controversy: unpaid bills.
Builders, electricians and contractors who built Sturgis County Line say Allen owes them thousands of dollars each. They haven't been paid in nearly a year, and the debts are causing financial problems for them.

Half a dozen contractors turned out at the Meade County Commission alcohol license renewal hearing Tuesday to ask commissioners to suspend approval of Allen's beer license until they are paid in full.

Commissioners agreed to table the Sturgis County Line license application until Thursday. However, the commission went on to approve all of the other alcohol licenses between Bear Butte and Sturgis.

They approved the licenses despite strident pleas from American Indian groups and supporters of a development buffer or an alcohol ban near Bear Butte. The groups urged commissioners to deny alcohol licenses to all the rally campgrounds and concert venues near Bear Butte.

The butte, also known as Mato Paha, is sacred to the Lakota, the Northern Cheyenne, the Osage, the Ponca and other indigenous groups. They decry what they see as the encroachment of the noisy motorcycle event in an area where pilgrims seek prayer and solitude.

In recent years, the groups have regularly testified before the Meade County Commission about their opposition to alcohol near Bear Butte. They have asked for buffers ranging from seven miles to 1-1/2 miles.

The tone at Tuesday's hearing was much different, in part because they were joined by the angry contractors.

Al Sutton of Al Sutton Electric in Rapid City told the commissioners that he has a lien against the Sturgis County Line property for $15,000 in electrical work plus interest and legal fees.

He said Allen sent him a check for $15,000 shortly before Tuesday's hearing. The check hasn't cleared the bank, and Sutton won't release the lien until it does -- and Allen pays the legal fees and interest.

"Just because he sent out checks and made promises doesn't mean he's cleared it up," Sutton told the commissioners.

Gene King of King's Construction said his company is owed $42,000, and he faces financial problems of his own because of Allen's unpaid bill.

Allen was not at Tuesday's license hearing. He was represented by Lon Nordbye Jr., who told commissioners that Allen is working at a motorcycle event in Ohio.

Nordbye conceded that Jay Allen has had serious difficulties in financing the new Sturgis venue. He said Allen is selling his Broken Spoke Saloons in Laconia, N.H., and Daytona, Fla. He has also taken on partners at his Broken Spoke in downtown Sturgis.

"He is actively trying to resolve the problems," Nordbye said.

Nordbye said five of six lienholders have been paid. With the sixth lien, King's Construction, he said that Allen disputes the amount that King's claims it is owed.

Ann White Hat, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe who lives at the base of Bear Butte, suggested that Allen's unpaid bills should be a basis to deny the license for reasons of character.

Bear Butte groups have called on Sturgis bikers to boycott the bars and concert venues near Bear Butte. It's unclear whether that caused financial problems for Allen and the Sturgis County Line.

However, attendance was decidedly light, according to those who were at Sturgis County Line. But its location north on S.D. Highway 79 is much farther from Sturgis than most bikers usually venture.

Contact Dan Daly at 394-8421 or dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2007/06/06/news/local/doc46660f9f7a42a768475003.txt

Bear Butte liquor license dispute headed for state Supreme Court

2007-01-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

Bear Butte liquor license dispute headed for state Supreme Court
Posted: January 29, 2007
by: David Melmer / Indian Country Today

PIERRE, S.D. - The South Dakota Supreme Court has received an appeal on a lower court decision to not allow petitioners a chance to veto the issuance of a malt beverage license near sacred Bear Butte in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota.

The battle to stop owners from opening huge biker bar venues within sight and sound of Bear Butte grew this past summer and challenges the Meade County Board of Commissioners' policy that allows liquor licenses near the mountain.

Attorney Thomas Van Norman, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the tribal attorney, filed the appeal on Jan. 14 on behalf of the petitioners.

The appeal is in response to the circuit court order that denied petitioners a writ of mandamus that would have compelled Meade County, in which Bear Butte is located, to hold a referendum vote on the malt beverage license issue.

During the first week of every August, 500,000 bikers converge on the normally small community of Sturgis, located just three miles from Bear Butte. Large-venue entertainment complexes located within sight and sound of Bear Butte offer entertainment and encourage the bikers to party.

Entertainment complexes or stadiums that can accommodate some 30,000 people are either being constructed or are in operation nearby.

Bear Butte is considered one of the most sacred of sites by numerous Great Plains tribes. Oral histories point to the mountain as the source of the spiritual life of the Cheyenne, Crow, Lakota, Shoshone, Arapaho, Kiowa and nearly 25 other tribes.

Members of the various tribes pray on the mountain nearly every day of the year. Many American Indian soldiers who are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan pray on Bear Butte before they leave and after they return. Families pray for ill members and many individuals seek visions on the mountain. Bear Butte is also a state park.

During the Sturgis Rally, those who pray assert that noise and other distractions from the music and the non-muffled bikes disturb their concentration and meditation. A camp composed of people from many American Indian nations gathered on the mountain for more than a month this past summer to bring awareness to the sacredness.

Support for the tribes has come from many local ranchers who also see a need to curtail the growth of the rally industry.

The trigger for the rallies and protests came when Jay Allen, owner of a new campground, bar and entertainment complex, applied for a malt beverage license for a new venue to be located just to the north of the mountain. He also owns the Broken Spoke campground and bar, located north of the mountain.

A petition to request a referendum vote on the license was filed with the county auditor within the legal time after the commission approved the license. The auditor certified the petition, but the commission unanimously voted to reject a referendum vote based on administrative decision.

The case was then sent to circuit court, which found in favor of the county.

Petitioners in the case contend that applications submitted by Allen were not treated properly by the county commission. Allen's first application, submitted in April 2006, the petitioners argue, asked for a new malt beverage license to be used at the new venue near Bear Butte. It was issued on June 9.

Also in April, Allen submitted an application for the renewal of an existing malt beverage license at the Broken Spoke. The petitioners argue that both license applications were treated similarly. The renewal was subject to only a check of sales tax licensure and comments from law enforcement on potential calls over problems at the location of the license.

Petitioners argue that a complete background check - required for new licenses - was not completed and that the commission used the same criteria as for a renewal.

In their brief to the state's high court, the petitioners further argue that the circuit court erred in its decision to deny the petitioner's first request to hold the referendum.

They also contend that the county commissioners denied the petitioners their constitutional and statutory rights by refusing to print ballots and hold the referendum vote.

The petitioners pointed out that both the legislative and administrative actions of municipal governments are subject to the referendum process in the state of South Dakota. The county commission denied a referendum based on administrative procedure.

Legal precedence points out that any decisions made by counties or municipalities on liquor licenses are subject to referendum. The law also is clear, the petitioners argue, that the discretionary powers afforded to the county commission is legislative and therefore subject to referendum.

It is not clear whether a new referendum would overturn the county commission's decision to issue two malt beverage licenses to Allen. Allen also succeeded in purchasing a full liquor license from a steak house in the county that has since closed.

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414397

American Indians protest biker rally nearing sacred site

2006-08-01T19:19:00.000-06:00

American Indians protest biker rally nearing sacred site
By Stu Whitney, USA TODAY
STURGIS, S.D. — Once a year, amid the hammering August heat, this Black Hills hamlet becomes a bikers' paradise by hosting the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally — a weeklong celebration of leather, bikes and beer that draws as many as 500,000 riders. That's in a town of 6,400 in a state of only 776,000 people.
It's also a tradition for local critics to decry the increasing size and commercialism of the 66-year-old event, which once again will congest highways and hotels (and jails) when rally week starts Monday.

This summer's clamor is louder and more emotional, however, mainly because of a clash that pits Native American heritage against chrome-and-steel capitalism.

The battle is being waged over Bear Butte, a mountain 6 miles outside Sturgis that the Plains Indians have long considered sacred. Indians from across the USA are gathering today for a four-day summit, and protests — including efforts to deflect biker traffic from the site — are planned.

With a trend toward open-air biker bars and concert venues, the rally has crept closer to the butte. This summer, construction began about 2 miles north of the mountain on a 600-acre campground billed as the "world's biggest biker bar." The camp is within sight of where Native Americans gather to fast and pray.

"In the past, all the partying was done near town, but now they're going to surround our sacred mountain and desecrate it, drink on it, and leave their trash when they go back to where they came from," says Vic Camp, 31, a Lakota from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Tempers flared last August, when Arizona entrepreneur Jay Allen announced plans to build the giant biker bar and entertainment complex on Highway 79.

Camp and other Native Americans have gathered on tribal land north of the butte to protest the granting of beer and liquor licenses to Allen and other property owners. They claim that rally-related noise disturbs the sanctity of a spiritual place whose past visitors included Red Cloud, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.

The protesters, joined by some area ranchers, are requesting a 5-mile "buffer zone" around Bear Butte, a state park where buffalo roam freely and colorful pieces of cloth hang from trees to symbolize expressions of prayer.

"Just imagine if they told all the Christians in America, 'You guys can't go to church ... until we're done partying,' " says Camp, who is joined by about 100 other Native Americans, with more on the way for the summit and protest. "This mountain that you see here is a sacred altar — it's our church, school, and hospital all in one," he said. "We have men up on the hill right now who are fasting and praying, and they have to listen to cement trucks driving by and the pounding of hammers."

Much of the rancor is directed toward Allen, the outspoken owner of the famed Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis. He first wanted to call his new complex "Sacred Ground," complete with tepees and an 80-foot Indian statue.

Allen abandoned those ideas and changed the name to Sturgis County Line after criticism from Indian groups. He hasn't backed down on his vision, with future plans calling for 150,000 square feet of asphalt and an amphitheater to seat 30,000 concert-goers.

"I get death threats on a weekly basis," said Allen, who first attended the Sturgis rally as a leather gloves vendor in 1986.

"But I have been nothing but respectful to the Native Americans, and I tried to use this as a tool to enlighten people about their lifestyle. Their tradition isn't going away, but ours isn't either." Allen's new venue will consist this year of about 100 RV sites, and crews are working feverishly to finish a bar, vending and music areas before the rally begins. "This isn't a five-star restaurant," said Allen, who plans to travel to the rally from Phoenix in a 1954 Greyhound double-decker bus. "As long as I've got ice-cold beer and good music, we'll be OK."

A group of local volunteers, including Native Americans, called the Bear Butte International Alliance is promoting a "Don't Ride 79" campaign, urging bikers not to travel on Highway 79.

"We probably will stop the traffic from going on this road, but we're going to do it in a peaceful and respectful way," Camp said. "We're not against the bikers, and we're not against the Sturgis rally."

Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin offered a note of caution about protesters trying to stop traffic.

"I wouldn't say we're expecting anything more than the normal rally concerns," Merwin said. "But if they start backing up traffic on Highway 79, those bikers are not going to be happy."

Camp insisted that if there's any violent action, it won't be initiated by Native Americans gathered at Bear Butte.

"The elders instructed us to go about this in a very peaceful way," Camp said. "They asked us to come here with our pipes and our sacred eagle feathers and staffs to bring many nations together.

"If it is provoked, it will be provoked by the other side — by disrespectful bikers coming through and hollering at us and spitting at us, like they have done at other protests."

Posted 8/1/2006 12:04 AM ET
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-07-31-indians-bikers_x.htm

American Indians Protest Bar Development

2006-07-27T18:46:00.001-06:00

American Indians Protest Bar Development
By CARSON WALKERThe Associated PressThursday, July 27, 2006; 4:34 AM
STURGIS, S.D. -- American Indian tribes trying to protect their sacred Bear Butte have purchased land around the Black Hills historic site to keep it out of the hands of developers eager to serve bikers who roar into town every year for a raucous road rally.
According to Meade County records, three tribes have spent $1.3 million over the last two decades to buy 2.6 square miles of land around usually serene Bear Butte, where colorful prayer flags line a hiking trail and Indians have come for centuries to fast and hold ceremonies.
Construction crews work at the site of a new campground near the foot of Bear Butte Wednesday, June 14, 2006 outside Sturgis, S.D. The butte, a rocky mound on the northeast edge of the Black Hills is a sacred American Indian site where tribe members have been coming for centuries to fast and hold ceremonies. For over twenty years tribes nation wide have been buying up parcels of land around the 3,100 foot butte to protect it from being developed into another area biker bar or site the caters to the upwards of 500,000 participants of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that will be held Aug. 7-13 this year. For a week every August, the sound of the South Dakota wind is replaced in the hills by the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. This year's rally is Aug. 7-13, and Indians from several tribes are camping out near the butte in protest of bars and other entertainment venues they feel violate the sanctity of the 3,100-foot mountain.
"The mountain is sacred to us," said George Whipple, executive director of Tribal Land Enterprise, an arm of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. "Therefore, the cultural and spiritual value of the land was what was significant to us. By keeping with that tradition, we're also keeping it from being developed into a beer garden."
The butte _ an ancient volcano that never erupted _ and the land immediately around it are in a state park, but surrounding areas are open for commercial development. That development has been driven in part by the road rally, which attracted 525,000 bikers last year.
Despite the land purchase by tribes, the Meade County Commission has approved several alcohol licenses for sites near the butte. Commissioners have said they have no basis to deny alcohol licenses and people have the right to use their land as they see fit.
"The Legislature gives us the power to issue the permits based on character and location," said Commissioner Curtis Nupen. "We have those two factors to take into account."
Character can be an issue if an establishment regularly has run-ins with the law; location concerns include proximity to churches and places where children gather, Nupen said.
With the increasing demand for land near Sturgis for businesses that cater to bikers, it's getting too expensive for even the richest of tribes to buy land and leave it idle, Whipple said.
"Agriculturally, you couldn't buy a piece of land up there and make it pay," he said. "Unless you're going to develop it or make money off the beer sales and the rally, you're spending a lot of money for not much return."
Indians have gathered at Bear Butte this summer ahead of the rally to protest development, likening the mountain to a church.
Alex White Plume, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, helped organize a camp near the butte's base designed to draw tribal members and leaders to a Gathering of Nations Treaty Summit in the days before the rally. Indians also plan to march from Bear Butte to the Meade County Courthouse in Sturgis during the rally.
All events will be peaceful, organizers said. They hope to persuade some bikers to voluntarily stay away from commercial sites east of Sturgis.
"We're here to defend our sacred site," Plume said. "We have to learn to get along, but we also have to have mutual respect for each other and that's not happening today."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/27/AR2006072700157.html

American Indians protesting bar development near sacred mountain

2006-07-26T18:33:00.000-06:00

American Indians protesting bar development near sacred mountain

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By Carson Walker
ASSOCIATED PRESS
11:56 p.m. July 26, 2006
STURGIS, S.D. – American Indian tribes trying to protect their sacred Bear Butte have purchased land around the Black Hills historic site to keep it out of the hands of developers eager to serve bikers who roar into town every year for a raucous road rally.
According to Meade County records, three tribes have spent $1.3 million over the last two decades to buy 2.6 square miles of land around usually serene Bear Butte, where colorful prayer flags line a hiking trail and Indians have come for centuries to fast and hold ceremonies.
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For a week every August, the sound of the South Dakota wind is replaced in the hills by the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. This year's rally is Aug. 7-13, and Indians from several tribes are camping out near the butte in protest of bars and other entertainment venues they feel violate the sanctity of the 3,100-foot mountain.
“The mountain is sacred to us,” said George Whipple, executive director of Tribal Land Enterprise, an arm of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. “Therefore, the cultural and spiritual value of the land was what was significant to us. By keeping with that tradition, we're also keeping it from being developed into a beer garden.”
The butte – an ancient volcano that never erupted – and the land immediately around it are in a state park, but surrounding areas are open for commercial development. That development has been driven in part by the road rally, which attracted 525,000 bikers last year.
Despite the land purchase by tribes, the Meade County Commission has approved several alcohol licenses for sites near the butte. Commissioners have said they have no basis to deny alcohol licenses and people have the right to use their land as they see fit.
“The Legislature gives us the power to issue the permits based on character and location,” said Commissioner Curtis Nupen. “We have those two factors to take into account.”
Character can be an issue if an establishment regularly has run-ins with the law; location concerns include proximity to churches and places where children gather, Nupen said.
With the increasing demand for land near Sturgis for businesses that cater to bikers, it's getting too expensive for even the richest of tribes to buy land and leave it idle, Whipple said.
“Agriculturally, you couldn't buy a piece of land up there and make it pay,” he said. “Unless you're going to develop it or make money off the beer sales and the rally, you're spending a lot of money for not much return.”
Indians have gathered at Bear Butte this summer ahead of the rally to protest development, likening the mountain to a church.
Alex White Plume, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, helped organize a camp near the butte's base designed to draw tribal members and leaders to a Gathering of Nations Treaty Summit in the days before the rally. Indians also plan to march from Bear Butte to the Meade County Courthouse in Sturgis during the rally.
All events will be peaceful, organizers said. They hope to persuade some bikers to voluntarily stay away from commercial sites east of Sturgis.
“We're here to defend our sacred site,” Plume said. “We have to learn to get along, but we also have to have mutual respect for each other and that's not happening today.”
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20060726-2356-bearbutte.html

Bikers and Bear Butte

2006-06-27T20:44:00.001-06:00

Kari Lydersen: Bikers and Bear Butte
Tuesday, June 27 2006 @ 11:12 AM PDT
Contributed by: Admin
Views: 1,384

In 1857, 30,000 Sioux and Cheyenne gathered at Bear Butte in South Dakota to plan how to deal with white settlers moving in on their sacred land. Native American warriors launched attacks on wagon trains from the mountain, incidents which are now commemorated in historical plaques along the highway. In 1874, Indian fighter George Custer visited Bear Butte, two years before making his infamous "last stand" at Little Bighorn. Chief Crazy Horse also spoke there, calling on his people never to sell the land.

Bikers and Bear Butte
By Kari Lydersen
Infoshop News (news.infoshop.org)
June 27, 2006

In 1857, 30,000 Sioux and Cheyenne gathered at Bear Butte in South Dakota to plan how to deal with white settlers moving in on their sacred land. Native American warriors launched attacks on wagon trains from the mountain, incidents which are now commemorated in historical plaques along the highway. In 1874, Indian fighter George Custer visited Bear Butte, two years before making his infamous "last stand" at Little Bighorn. Chief Crazy Horse also spoke there, calling on his people never to sell the land.

The windswept mountain is sacred to about 30 regional Native American tribes, a spiritual respite for vision quests, healing, learning and praying. And they are still fighting to defend it from white men. Now instead of pioneers in covered wagons, their nemesis is a biker turned developer who is proposing one of the world’s largest biker bars at the foot of Bear Butte.

For about two weeks every summer, the stark hills and mesas of Bear Butte rise above an incongruous backdrop: hundreds of thousands of bikers from around the US and Europe attending the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Bikers camp at the Buffalo Chip campground about four miles from the mountain, drink beer and cheer rock groups like Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Native Americans in the area are offended by the drinking and debauchery at the foot of their sacred mountain, but they have grudgingly tolerated the motorcycle rally for the about 60 years it has been going on. Now they are furious that an Arizona biker and developer wants to turn the biker party scene into a year-round presence, with a sprawling biker bar and campground within two miles of Bear Butte on it’s currently undeveloped north side.

"We’re trying to defend this mountain that’s sacred to our people for many generations, but we’re fighting against millionaire developers," said Victorio Camp, 31, a Pine Ridge reservation resident who grew up doing vision quests at Bear Butte. "This mountain is a place where spirituality comes from. It’s a place where we gather medicines and do ceremonies. It’s hard to go up there and pray when you have 100,000 motorcycles driving by."

Developer Jay Allen started out as a participant and leather vendor at the Sturgis rally. He was a regular at the Broken Spoke Saloon in a former Sturgis lumberyard. He ended up buying the bar in 1993, and then opened a chain of Broken Spokes in Florida, New Hampshire and South Carolina. For his new 600-acre development, he made clumsy efforts to reach out to Native Americans. He announced plans to call the complex "Sacred Ground," and feature an 80-foot statue of an Indian, a tipi village and an "educational center" about Native Americans – many bikers do feel an affinity with Native Americans and want to learn more about their culture. (Some bikers also oppose Allen’s development, and testified against his application for a liquor license at a public hearing.)

Local tribes did not appreciate Allen’s gesture, however, seeing it as a case of adding insult to injury, especially considering the history of the area.

Bear Butte is part of the Black Hills which the Lakota feel were stolen from them by the US government after the Treaty of Ft. Laramie in 1868. In 1923 they filed a lawsuit charging the land was seized without just compensation, and the suit slowly made its way through the courts all the way up to a US Supreme Court decision in 1980 in which the Justices upheld a lower court decision awarding the Lakota more than $100 million for the land. Tribes have refused to accept the money, instead continuing to demand that the land be returned.

Last fall the foundation was laid for Allen’s 22,500 foot bar, a huge asphalt parking lot and a 30,000-person-plus music venue he has said will serve "the biggest music acts known to mankind." (Allen could not be reached for comment, and Sturgis rally organizers declined to comment).

Meanwhile another developer has applied for permits for another bar and campground nearby. And venues for the summer rally have encroached closer and closer to the mountain, which is mostly a state park with areas reserved for Native ceremonies. Defenders of Bear Butte are calling for at least a five mile buffer zone between the mountain and new development.

Organizers of the Sturgis biker rally, which is no doubt a crucial part of the working class town’s economy, declined to comment on the biker bar plans. A county commissioner said that since Allen owns the land and his plans meet local codes, there is no reason for the government to interfere.

Camp is particularly concerned that the development is on the north of Bear Butte, whereas the rally festivities are mainly on the opposite side around downtown Sturgis.

"All this traffic from Sturgis will be coming by now," he said. "We’re worried about the animals, the wildlife."

Native Americans also don’t like the fact that drinking alcohol will be allowed and probably rampant at the music venue and campground.

"They’ll all be drunk, looking at our mountain, and they won’t see it as such a beautiful, pure place; they don’t know the majesticness and power the place has," said Camp. "They walk around naked and drink and ride bikes; to us that’s very disrespectful."

"You wouldn’t have this in front of a church, synagogue or hospital," added Lakota activist Debra White Plume. "That’s what Bear Butte is like to us."

Different tribes have formed the Bear Butte International Alliance to oppose the development, and petitioned the county to put Allen’s liquor license up for a county-wide vote. (Their request was denied). In late spring, 27 Cheyenne teenagers ran a two-day, 190-mile relay from their reservation in Montana to Bear Butte in protest. Tribal members plan to keep fighting Allen’s plan and other development proposals in various ways. Within the past few years their lobbying has helped defeat other development proposals, including a shooting range.

"We just want to hold on to what little we have left at this mountain," said Camp. "As Lakota it is our duty to protect the earth. We’re just trying to have people understand why it’s such a sacred place. But it feels like our rights are being stepped on again, the same thing that’s been happening since Columbus came."

Native Americans from around the country will come to Bear Butte in August for a summit on protecting sacred sites. White Plume said they are planning protest actions in Sturgis, and they plan to contact musicians who have played or might consider playing at the rally or new arena.

"We see it as a desecration not only of a mountain but of our way of life," she said. "This is a genocidal issue to us. If they kill this mountain, they kill our way of life."

---------

Kari Lydersen is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, In These Times, LiP Magazine, Clamor, and The New Standard.

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=2006bear_butte

Biker Mecca on Sacred Ground

2006-06-23T21:47:00.000-06:00

Biker Mecca on Sacred Ground
By Anne Keala Kelly

June 23, 2006

Sturgis, South Dakota, is a town of about 6,500 people, but come August the population explodes, as half a million bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts ride in like cowboys, clad in leather vests and bandannas for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. This year's event, however, promises to be met with resistance from the area's original inhabitants and other First Nation peoples from across the continent. They are protesting not only the onslaught of bikers but also a development at the base of a sacred hill outside of Sturgis called Bear Butte.

Anne Keala Kelly: Native American activists are braced for a tense summer, as a motorcycling entrepreneur goes forward with plans for a resort that will draw hundreds of thousands of bikers to the sacred site of Bear Butte.

"I have a hard time in the white man's way. They pray to this guy called God, but he's gold. It's all about the almighty dollar. Their priorities are money," said Alexander White Plume in a phone interview from his home in Manderson, South Dakota. White Plume is acting president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and he, along with hundreds of others, organized protests and spoke at recent public hearings over whether or not a liquor license should be given to Arizona businessman Jay Allen, who plans to build a 600-acre biker extravaganza adjacent to Bear Butte.

Allen operates an interstate chain of four biker bars called Broken Spoke Saloon, including one in Sturgis, which bills itself as the largest biker bar in the world.

Meade County Commissioners voted unanimously in April to grant a beer and malt beverage license to Allen for this new saloon in his chain, and then voted in June to allow transfer of a liquor license to the venue.

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.

At issue on both sides of this argument over the proposed development is more than expropriation of the intellectual property of indigenous peoples. It is a reminder of the vast cultural differences that exist between First Nation peoples and those who are drawn to what once was their tribal land.

One only needs to read Article 1 of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie and compare it with what has happened over time to understand the profound conflict between the two competing paradigms: "From this day forward all war between the parties to this agreement shall forever cease. The Government of the United States desires peace, and its honor is hereby pledged to keep it. The Indians desire peace, and they now pledge their honor to maintain it."

Enacted by Congress, the treaty codified the Sioux Nations' ownership of the Black Hills. But the treaty's opening words, "From this day forward," really only meant for the next six years, because in 1874 General George Custer and some nineteenth-century entrepreneurs, known back then as miners, breached the treaty and found gold in the Black Hills, reigniting what are called the Indian wars. Eventually those events led to white settlers hunting down Natives and either forcing them onto reservations or, as happened at Wounded Knee, disarming them and then murdering them.

Despite the dispossession of Native people and erosion of their sovereignty, the Lakota, Arapahoe and Cheyenne still go to Bear Butte to practice their religious ways. Scores of other nations have maintained connections to the butte since ancient times, making the journey there to pray much the way Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Lakota and other First Nations people aren't the only ones opposed to Allen's plans to develop Bear Butte as a haven for bikers. Some white ranchers and business owners say the Sturgis biker rally has gotten out of hand and have joined coalitions such as the Bear Butte International Alliance, which are planning to conduct civil disobedience training. Meade County, where Sturgis is located, boasts a population of only 25,000, but every year locals brace themselves for Rally Week because as many as 650,000 bikers have poured into Sturgis and the surrounding area.

Opponents of the Bear Butte development are expecting as many as 10,000 people to stand with them in solidarity to protest this intrusion on their land. When asked whether or not he believes there will be clashes between protesters and bikers, Alexander White Plume said, "We can't defend Bear Butte violently because it is a sacred site. But our younger generation is talking about direct action."

Meanwhile, Allen's development is taking shape. He has announced plans to include a rodeo arena on the site by 2008, and he has said that although he respects the Native people, he has the right to conduct business. The state of South Dakota agrees with him, because none of the legal or moral objections put forth have held sway with legislators who earlier this year rejected legislation to create a four-mile buffer around Bear Butte. Hundreds of First Nation peoples traveled more than 200 miles to attend hearings and testify against granting the liquor license. But Bob Mallow, one of the five Meade County Commissioners who voted in favor of Allen's request, said in a phone interview that none of the area's residents spoke out against it.

"If there's nothing there, we're talking about two and a half miles from Bear Butte," said Mallow. "The location is fine with us. It's a municipality. If you have a church down the street two blocks, that makes sense, but this distance seems like enough."

Allen, who has traveled to Sturgis annually since 1986, said he visits the butte every day during the rally and added that he wants to share the "magic of our precious 600 acres with not just the Native Americans but with anyone open to experiencing something greater than the common rally experiences."

Even though county and state lawmakers have green-lighted the project, the First Nations peoples are undaunted in their quest to protect this religious site. Bear Butte is one of the last remaining undeveloped sacred sites in the United States.

"We want to keep it that way," said White Plume. "Leave it in its original form. It's where we go to do our vision quest. We do ceremonies that need silence. Putting a bar and concert hall there would be like us holding a powwow outside a synagogue when they're praying."

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060710/kelly

Meade County voters won’t decide on beer sales

2006-05-05T21:38:00.000-06:00

Meade County voters won’t decide on beer sales
By Nicole Carlson, Meade County Times-Tribune Friday, May 05, 2006

STURGIS � Meade County voters will not be given the chance to decide whether an Arizona man should be allowed to sell beer near Bear Butte.

Despite a number of petitions that were turned in seeking to refer the license to a countywide vote, the Meade County Commission unanimously decided Thursday morning that their decision to grant a license to Broken Spoke owner Jay Allen was an administrative action and, therefore, the issue cannot be referred to a vote.

The issue of selling liquor near Bear Butte has been the subject of two organized protests and likely will be the subject of a third. Allen has now applied for a liquor license, which would be transferred from Mad Mary’s Steakhouse. The commission is expected to decide that matter next month.

On April 4, the commission unanimously approved a beer license for Allen’s new facility, Sturgis County Line and Bear Butte Sunsets, after nearly two hours of testimony against the action from American Indian activists who consider Bear Butte sacred.

Allen bought 600 acres north of Bear Butte last summer. The campground and saloon, now under construction, are set to open in time for the 2006 Sturgis motorcycle rally.

Opponents spent the past week gathering more than 750 signatures from Meade County residents in an attempt to overturn the commission’s decision. However, the county commission decides whether the issue is referable.

According to commissioner Dayle Hammock, the commission reviewed its decision and legal cases and met with lawyers in the state’s attorney’s office before making the decision.

“The action was an administrative decision,” Hammock said. “We decline to authorize a referendum concerning that decision.”

According to state law, administrative decisions are not subject to a referendum, but legislative decisions are.

By definition, a legislative decision is “one that enacts a permanent law or lays down a rule of conduct or course of policy for the guidance of citizens or their officers. Any matter of a permanent or general character is a legislative decision.”

Hammock said approving a beer license does not fall within that definition.

“If we made the law, it would be referable,” Hammock said. “We followed the procedure; therefore, it was an administrative process.”

Anne White Hat, a member of the Bear Butte International Alliance, criticized the board’s decision. She said she expects a public outcry.

“Are you saying that the voice of the people does not matter to you?” White Hat asked the commission.

Hammock defended the decision.

“We have followed the law, and if you do not like the law, you need to go to the Legislature,” Hammock said. “The Legislature makes the law; we follow the law.”

White Hat said the decision was an easy way out for the commissioners.

“We feel you are making a really bad decision,” White Hat said. “We’re not going away. We will be back.”

White Hat told the commissioners that her group already had pursued the next steps. Two separate groups filed court challenges Tuesday in 4th Circuit Court. Rapid City attorney Bruce Ellison filed one challenge on behalf of Meade County rancher Jessie Levin and six others.

According to the document, the group identified 10 different grounds for the appeal, including unsuitable location, failure to follow proper legal standards in the application process and violation of due process.

Also, the document alleges that a conflict of interest exists regarding commissioner Dean Wink. Before a legislative committee in January, Wink testified against a bill that would have banned alcoholic-beverage licenses within four miles of Bear Butte. That testimony indicates an “actual risk of prejudice and/or bias of said decision maker and/or personal and/or selfish motives which influenced and tainted the proceedings, and deprived opponents of the granting of the license of a fair and impartial consideration and of a fair hearing.”

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe attorney and state legislator Tom Van Norman filed another similar challenge on behalf of the tribe. Van Norman’s suit alleges that the county commission acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” in determining Allen’s character and that the commission erred in “placing the burden of demonstrating suitability of character upon the challengers.”

Nancy Kile, also a member of the Bear Butte International Alliance, said the issue is not one of American Indians versus bikers or residents against bikers.

“It’s an issue of Meade County residents wanting to take our land back,” she said.

Kile said that being granted a liquor license is a privilege, not a right. She said in exchange for the license, citizens expect accountability and responsible businessmen.

Levin said she expects public outrage at the commissioners’ decision to deny the petitions.

“There was a hope that the people were finally going to get a say and a vote,” Levin said. “Our vote was taken away.”

Although the issue of Allen’s malt-beverage license is far from finished, his application for a liquor license could overshadow it. On Thursday, Meade County Auditor Lisa Schieffer said that the county received an application for a full liquor license for the Sturgis County Line facility. The license is a retail on-sale license that would be transferred from Mad Mary’s Steakhouse near Black Hawk.

Although the county is not involved in the private transaction, including the cost for the license, they make the ultimate decision about the approval of the transfer.

The commission will meet today to officially set the hearing for Friday, June 9, at 9 a.m. in the courtroom of Meade County Courthouse.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/05/05/news/top/news01.txt

Beer license approved near sacred Indian butte

2006-04-06T18:22:00.000-06:00

Thursday, April 6, 2006
Beer license approved near sacred Indian butte
By Joe Kafka
The Associated Press

DOUG DREYER / AP
Jay Allen, right, who wants to build a biker bar at the base of Bear Butte, sits near Chief Arvol Looking Horse, a spiritual leader from the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, on Tuesday during a Mead County Commission meeting.
STURGIS, S.D. — To American Indians, Bear Butte is a place to pray and meditate, where colorful prayer cloth and pouches with offerings of tobacco and sage are tied to tree branches along a hiking trail.
For business owners, the 4,422-foot peak is a destination for thousands of bikers who fork out money for beer and a place to camp during an annual rally in nearby Sturgis.
Despite strong opposition from Indian groups hoping to prevent further encroachment on the mountain, Meade County authorities Tuesday unanimously approved a beer license for a campground, biker bar and concert area.
The butte, on the fringe of the Black Hills, is in a state park and is protected as a National Historic Landmark. However, it is surrounded by private property.
One of those landowners is Jay Allen, who owns the Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis, just a few miles from the mountain.
Allen plans to open a bar about 2 ½ miles from the base of Bear Butte, drawing customers during the monster motorcycle rally that draws several hundred thousand people each August. He plans to also take advantage of the rally to fill his campground and sell beer.
Allen first announced development of the project on a square mile of prairie last summer, proposing to call it Sacred Ground. He talked about building an 80-foot Indian statue as a tribute to tribes but abandoned the idea and changed the project's name to Sturgis County Line after criticism from Indian groups.
He argued at the hearing that he has a right to develop his land, which totals about 600 acres. But amid strong opposition from a room full of Indians from several tribes, Allen pledged to be a good neighbor.
"I'm embarrassed that it's evolved to this," he said.
State officials have said at least 17 tribes place special significance on Bear Butte. Others have said nearly 60 tribes consider the peak sacred. Bear Butte, a volcano that never erupted, has been a state park since 1961, and a special area is set aside for Indian ceremonies.

document.write('');Opponents of Allen's project said at the hearing that thousands of noisy motorcycles and other large campground and entertainment complexes near Sturgis already disrupt the serenity of Bear Butte.
"We need a quiet place," said Arvol Looking Horse, a Sioux who wore a fully feathered headdress and buckskin tunic. "Bear Butte is a very sacred place."
Indian groups, led by the Bear Butte International Alliance, oppose all development that would disturb the tranquility around the peak. The alliance has been pressing county officials to stop issuing beer and liquor licenses within a seven-mile radius of Bear Butte.
Dean Wink, a county commissioner, said he understands the significance Indians attach to the butte. But he said that other businesses in the area have received alcohol licenses and that to deny Allen the same opportunity would be to deny him his rights.
Work on Allen's project is under way.
Allen said he hopes to have the campground and biker bar ready for this year's motorcycle rally, which officially runs one week but also draws people for a week before and a week afterward.
Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002913894_butte06.html

Beer sales get unanimous OK

2006-04-05T21:43:00.000-06:00

Beer sales get unanimous OK
By Dan Daly, Journal Staff Writer Wednesday, April 05, 2006

STURGIS � After listening to nearly two hours of comment � some for, most against, and much of it impassioned � the Meade County Commission voted 5-0 to approve a beer license for a new Sturgis motorcycle-rally bar and campground near Bear Butte, a sacred site to many American Indians.

Entrepreneur Jay Allen, owner of the Broken Spoke Saloon, bought 600 acres of land north of the butte. He plans to open a new Broken Spoke Saloon and Sturgis County Line Campground on the site for the 2006 Sturgis motorcycle rally. Later, he hopes to open a concert venue as well.

But opposition to Allen’s plan has been intense. Diverse American Indian groups including the Sturgis-based Bear Butte International Alliance and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana oppose the project. The Meade County Commission received 633 letters on the subject. There was even an op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times decrying Allen’s proposal.

Tuesday’s commission meeting culminated a day of prayer and protest by Indian groups that began at Bear Butte and ended on the streets of Sturgis.

More than 400 marchers, singing and chanting “Save Bear Butte,” walked in a slow procession behind a Lakota drum group and spiritual leader Arvol Looking Horse. The march ended at the front entrance of Meade County Courthouse.

Protesters carried signs that read “The End is Near, Jay Allen is Here” and “Develop Your Mind, Not Sacred Sites.”

Inside, the courtroom-turned commission room had space for only 70 people. Most of the crowd waited outside through the entire meeting.

About 25 journalists crowded into the jury box-turned press gallery as Jay Allen made his case for approval of the beer license � and 20 opponents tried to persuade the commission to deny the license.

Allen’s attorney, Bryce Flint, told the commission that the bar itself would be 2-1/2 miles north of the base of Bear Butte. He noted that other licensed biker bars and music venues, including one across the road from the Sturgis County Line property, are as close or nearly as close to Bear Butte.

Among those who spoke on Allen’s behalf was Sasha Mullins, who works for the Broken Spoke. She described her boss as a big-hearted person who wants to develop a harmonious environment for his employees and his patrons.

Flint noted that Allen’s beer-license request meets both legal tests set down by state law � character of the applicant and location of the establishment. He said Allen, who operates Broken Spoke Saloons at motorcycle events in four states, has been found to be a responsible businessman. Flint also said the neighboring landowners support his right as a landowner.

The Meade County Commission apparently agreed. There was little discussion among the five commissioners before the 5-0 vote. Dean Wink was the only commissioner who spoke to the crowd.

“I’m not convinced that Meade County needs another biker bar,” Wink said. “I do feel strongly � that private property rights have been eroded.” He said Allen’s proposal meets the standards set by the state and the county and therefore deserves a beer license. “I have a problem deviating from the standards we’ve set down.”

The decision came despite a series of passionate speeches from Indian people who talked of the sacredness of Bear Butte and its role in their cultural history. They spoke about the need to preserve the sanctity of Bear Butte so that future generations of Indian pilgrims will have a place to fast, pray and cleanse their spirits.

Speakers compared Bear Butte to Jerusalem, to Mecca, to the Christian Bible and to Mount Sinai.

“Bear Butte is a sacred place, and we need to keep it as our grandfathers (kept it),” said Looking Horse, who is revered in Lakota religion as the keeper of the sacred calf pipe. “When we sit on top of Bear Butte, we communicate with our creator.”

Carter Camp of the Intertribal Coalition to Defend Bear Butte also spoke. His group is pushing for a five-mile buffer around Bear Butte. He told the commissioners that generations of American Indian soldiers who fought for the United States have come home to Bear Butte to heal their spirits. He said every biker that goes to the new Broken Spoke Saloon will go rumbling past Bear Butte. “The location of this could not be worse,” he said.

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe, which traces its very survival to Bear Butte, has been buying land around Bear Butte for years, L. Jace Killsback, a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council, said. He said the tribe has about 700 acres set aside, and it is trying to buy more.

Others said they have no objection to Jay Allen opening a biker bar for the Sturgis rally � but not at this location.

The Sturgis County Line proposal also apparently renewed some of the debate in Meade County about the Sturgis motorcycle rally. Jesse Levin, a non-Indian rancher who lives 30 miles east of Sturgis, told the commissioners that she is disgusted by the trash, dust and drunken bikers that she has seen at her place.

“When is enough going to be enough for us in Meade County?” she asked the commissioners.

State Sen. Stan Adelstein, R-Rapid City, who chairs the House-Senate Tribal Relations Committee, also spoke against the measure, as did Bruce Ellison, a Rapid City attorney.

Ellison said the United States was founded on the principle of religious freedom. “We have to figure out a way in which we can co-exist,” he said.

Contact Dan Daly at 394-8421 or dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/04/05/news/top/news01.txt

Lawmakers want buffer to protect Bear Butte

2006-01-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

Lawmakers want buffer to protect Bear Butte
By Celeste Calvitto, Journal Staff Writer Friday, January 27, 2006

PIERRE - Paul Valandra and Jim Bradford are on a mission.

The two Democratic state lawmakers, by introducing legislation to prohibit liquor licenses within four miles of Bear Butte near Sturgis, are seeking to protect a site that is sacred to many American Indians on the northern Great Plains.

“But we don’t want to scare anybody, either,” Valandra said this week.

Valandra, a Rosebud Sioux, and Bradford, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said they are working on an outreach effort to let people who think they might be affected know that the legislators want to talk to everybody.

“We know that we are causing concern for many people out there,” Valandra said. “We want to hear their views. � They’ve got our cell-phone numbers.”

Specifically, HB1233 says that on-sale licenses would not be issued to current businesses or those that will be within four miles of the boundaries of Bear Butte State Park.

The action comes as a result of an announcement last summer by Jay Allen, the Arizona-based owner of the Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis. He wants to build a biker bar and concert site on land south of Bear Butte for this year’s Sturgis motorcycle rally.

“I remember thinking, that guy is going to catch some hell before this is all over,” Valandra said with a chuckle. “There will be Indians coming from all over.”

Allen did not return phone calls seeking comment before news deadline. But in an interview with the Rapid City Journal last year after opposition surfaced to his plans, he said, “From the onset, I’ve reached my arms out to the Native American community with totally good intentions to recognize their heritage, only to discover that it was not well received.”

State Sen. Kenneth McNenny, R-Sturgis, said the proposal may have “disastrous consquences.” He said the proposed boundaries are unclear but that he is concerned that the plan could affect a number of venues such as campgrounds and may include part of the city of Sturgis.

“I am very apprehensive about it,” House Majority Leader Larry Rhoden, R-Union Center, said.

Meanwhile, Bradford said he and Valandra have a plan to “grandfather” existing establishments with liquor licenses that might be affected.

They also have an explanation for the four-mile distance.

When tribes challenged a plan for a shooting range near Bear Butte as disruptive, experts said it would take four miles to create a buffer from noise.

“We decided to go with that,” Valandra said.

They said the quest to protect Bear Butte is shared by others.

“It’s not only Indians who are concerned,” Bradford said.

The Defenders of the Black Hills group, which came out against Allen’s plan, is raising money to buy land around Bear Butte to create a buffer zone.

“Bear Butte belongs to everbody,” Valandra said.

And the two lawmakers believe that bikers who make the pilgrimage to Sturgis each year won’t be upset with their plan.

“Bikers are cool guys,” Valandra said. “They don’t want to desecrate Indian ground.”

Bradford said more and more Sturgis rally bikers from throughout the country are visiting the Pine Ridge reservation.

“They are interested in our culture,” he said.

Bradford acknowledged that even if the law is passed, it won’t go into effect until July 1, and it wouldn’t stop Allen’s plan if he buys a Meade County license before then.

But he calls it a “step in the right direction” to preserve the integrity of Bear Butte.

“To me, it’s a unified church,” Bradford said. “I feel like other people would whose religion is being disturbed.”

Contact Celeste Calvitto at 394-8438 or Celeste.Calvitto@rapidcityjournal.com

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/01/27/news/top/news02.txt

Bear Butte biker bar to get new name and new location

2005-10-28T21:30:00.001-06:00

Bear Butte biker bar to get new name and new location
By Dan Daly, Journal Staff Writer Friday, October 28, 2005

STURGIS -- Sacred Ground, it turns out, was more sacred than Jay Allen realized.

Allen, the Arizona-based owner of the Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis, announced plans during the 2005 Sturgis motorcycle rally to build a rally-week biker bar and concert venue on land north of Bear Butte.

He was going to name it Sacred Ground as a tribute, he said, to nearby Bear Butte, a sacred site to the Lakota and other American Indian cultures.

Allen even talked about erecting tipis and building an 80-foot statue of an American Indian on the 600-acre site.

It would be open for business in time for the 2006 rally.

The announcement drew strong objections, however, from a number of Indians.

“Bear Butte and the surrounding area is indeed sacred ground, and this encroachment of sacred land must be stopped,” a group named the Bear Butte International Alliance wrote in a recent issue of the Lakota Journal.

“This business venture impacts more than one businessman’s vision. This will affect the quality of life for area residents and for everyone who holds Bear Butte dear to their hearts,” the column said.

On Thursday, Allen announced a number of changes to his plan.

He’s changing the name of the venue to Sturgis County Line.

He is going to build the concert venue at the far north end of the property. It will be farther from Bear Butte than the Dragpipe Saloon, which is already in business, Allen said.

He’s also going to make the land available for community events and American Indian celebrations during the rest of the year.

And the 80-foot Indian sculpture won’t be built.

“From the onset, I’ve reached my arms out to the Native American community with totally good intentions to recognize their heritage, only to discover that it was not well-received,” Allen said in Thursday’s news release. “I thought they would be so happy that someone in the rally business would care so much about their culture and the importance of what this land means.”

Allen said he believed that he could educate motorcycle tourists about American Indian culture.

“Granted, the rally is a great party. But experiencing the Black Hills is much more than that; it’s a spiritual encounter,” he said. “We intend to give the motorcycle tourist a more enchanting experience than ever before during rally because the land is so beautiful and inspiring.”

Allen also said that he had offered at one point to sell the 600 acres for what he paid to a tribe or Indian group that wanted to preserve the land. He said the same offer was made by Jim Reed, the rancher who sold the acres to him.

It is unclear how the changes will be received. The Bear Butte International Alliance temporarily withheld official comment Thursday.

But Mato Standing High, a lawyer and teacher at Black Hills State University, has been a critic of the plan. “Kind of makes it hard to go on a spiritual journey to the Black Hills with the background noise of ZZ Top and Harleys,” he said.

Contacted Thursday about Allen’s revised plan, Standing High said he remains unconvinced.

“I understand that they are trying to keep their distance, and they’re trying to do it respectfully,” Standing High said. “But it’s hard for somebody to engage in their religious practices when such activities are literally within view, within earshot.”

Contact Dan Daly at 394-8421 or dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2005/10/28/news/local/news01.txt

State returns shooting range grant to feds

2003-09-19T21:27:00.000-06:00

State returns shooting range grant to feds
Friday, September 19, 2003

HUD cites pattern of suspicious data used to support nine grants awarded under Janklow.

By Denise Ross, Journal Staff Writer

The state of South Dakota will cancel $511,200 in federal grant money it awarded in December to a shooting range planned for northeast of Sturgis and will repay the federal government $313,800 already spent on the project, according to a Thursday letter.

South Dakota's Tourism and State Development secretary John Calvin sent the letter to a HUD official in Denver in response to a HUD investigation that found demographic data used by the state to support the shooting range grant and nine others differed significantly from U.S. census data.

In their report to the state, HUD officials note they have the authority to withhold future grant money if they aren't satisfied with the state's response to the 74-page report issued Aug. 18.

The state's plan to cancel and repay the shooting range grant, totaling $825,000, will require HUD approval before it is final. HUD officials in Denver did not return a telephone call from the Rapid City Journal on Thursday.

Former Gov. Bill Janklow, now South Dakota's congressman, awarded each of the grants now in question under HUD's Community Development Block Grant program. Under the CDBG program, units of local government receive chunks of federal money and have discretion in awarding grants to projects that meet criteria set forth by the federal government. In South Dakota, all CDBG money goes through the state except the grants awarded in Rapid City and Sioux Falls, where the cities distribute grants.

What the state's decision to cancel the shooting range grant means for the future of the project was unclear Thursday. Organizers had planned to use only $75,000 in local funding for the $900,000 project. The nonprofit Black Hills Sportsmen's Complex had planned to operate the shooting range, already the subject of two lawsuits, at a site four miles north of Bear Butte State Park.

Sturgis Mayor Mark Ziegler said he could not comment on the shooting range because of ongoing litigation.

One of the lawsuits, filed against HUD in April by a group of Sturgis residents, made the allegation that the shooting range would not benefit low- and moderate-income people as required by CDBG criteria. Federal rules require that grants go to projects that would benefit a geographic area where at least 51 percent of the population is low- or moderate-income.

A second lawsuit, filed in February, contends that the state failed to consult with American Indian tribes about the shooting range's impact on Bear Butte, a site sacred to a number of tribes. The judge in that case on Thursday postponed indefinitely a Nov. 4 trial date, noting that the state's move to cancel the grant could end the project.

HUD investigated the shooting range grant and a series of grants awarded from the $8.5 million worth of South Dakota's 2002 CDBG cycle. HUD found a pattern in which the state consistently used low- and moderate- income data that exceeded existing census data by double-digit percentages.

In the case of the shooting range grant, U.S. census data showed that 42.5 percent of Sturgis residents meet that definition. In contrast, a telephone survey used to support the grant showed that 56.1 percent of the people in Sturgis meet that definition.

"There is a consistent pattern of survey results showing a significantly higher percentage of low- and moderate- income persons than Census data," the HUD report says. "The difference between the survey data and both 1990 and 2000 Census data often exceeds 10 percent. In one egregious case, the difference is more than 20 percent."

HUD found that when census data already showed an area met CDBG guidelines, the census data was used to support the grant, and no survey was done.

Communities where a survey showed a different percentage of low- and moderate-income people from the 2000 Census are listed below.

-- Aberdeen � Census, 41.1 percent; survey, 52 percent.

-- Avon � Census, 40.6 percent; survey, 56.36 percent.

-- Corsica � Census, 41.2 percent; survey, 56.36 percent.

-- Iroquois � Census, 49.1 percent; survey, 56.17 percent.

-- DeSmet � Census, 42 percent; survey, 51.05 percent.

-- Beresford � Census, 45.2 percent; survey, 54.9 percent.

-- Mobridge � Census, 51.2 percent; survey, 52 percent.

-- Minnehaha County � Census, 30.9 percent; survey, 64 percent.

-- Black Hawk Sanitary District � Census, no data; survey, 52.9 percent.

Also, HUD found that the state repeatedly did not clearly identify the geographic area that would benefit from a given grant. HUD also found that sometimes one geographic area was identified as the area that would benefit, but data from a different geographic area was cited when listing the criteria.

State of South Dakota officials have 45 days from the Aug. 18 report to respond to HUD's findings. If HUD and the state are unable to agree on what should be done, HUD rules allow the agency to take one of six different actions. Those include issuing a letter of reprimand, canceling future block grants to the state and instituting a policy of releasing grant funds only after HUD officials approve the projects in question.

Contact Denise Ross at 394-8438 or denise.ross@rapidcityjournal.com

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2003/09/19/news/local/top/news01.txt

Future of shooting range goes before federal judge

2003-03-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

Future of shooting range goes before federal judge
By Bill Cissell, Journal Staff Writer Wednesday, March 19, 2003

RAPID CITY � The future of a shooting range north of Sturgis is in the hands of a federal judge.

A hearing on a preliminary injunction to temporarily stop any further work on the project is set for 9 a.m. Monday, March 24, before U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier.

The judge also set 9 a.m. June 30 as the hearing date for a permanent injunction on the shooting range.

Construction has not begun; plans for the range are still in the design stage.

Five American Indian tribes � Northern Cheyenne, Rosebud Sioux, Yankton Sioux, Crow Creek Sioux and Standing Rock Sioux � filed a motion requesting the injunction.

They said noise from the Black Hills Sportsman's Complex, which is planned for more than four miles north of Bear Butte, will interfere with religious ceremonies at the butte, which is considered sacred by many Plains Indians. A grassroots organization called Defenders of the Black Hills also joined in the action.

The injunction request names as defendants Mel Martinez, U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Black Hills Council of Local Governments, Sturgis Industrial Expansion Corp., city of Sturgis and Black Hills Sportsman's Complex.

The tribes also say they weren't contacted about the proposal, which they say is mandated by federal law.

The shooting complex would have pistol, rifle and archery ranges, as well as a place for law enforcement officials to practice and youth organizations to learn shooting safety.

Organizers said the range also gives local gun and ammunition manufacturers a place to test and demonstrate new products.

On March 17, in a telephone conference call that included attorneys for all those involved and Schreier, range developers agreed "to not proceed with plans but continue the planning process."

They said they hoped to have the facility in operation this summer.

Money for the almost $1 million project came primarily from an $850,000 federal community development block grant.

Local organizers were required to raise $75,000.

In an Oct. 17, 2002, letter to Black Hills Council of Local Governments executive director Van Lindquist, the National Park Service suggested that "the Black Hills Council of Local Governments conduct a gunfire test and invite the interested parties ... to experience the sound levels from Bear Butte."

Black Hills Council provides administrative and technical support to a variety of local governments. It was in charge of shepherding the grant through the approval process.

In a subsequent letter to Don Kilman of the Office of Federal Agency Programs, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Lindquist said a live test couldn't be done because the range, with all of its planned noise baffles and berms, would have to be built in order to have a good demonstration.

In the same letter, Lindquist said that during a Sept. 11, 2002, meeting of representatives of the state's historic preservation office, block grant officials and the Black Hills Council, it was agreed that getting approval from the Tribal Government Relation Office would fulfill the requirement to contact Indian tribes.

The site, 13 miles north of Sturgis and east off of Highway 79, is the second location planned.

The first, about 11 miles east of Sturgis on Alkali Road, was rejected after it came under fire from adjacent landowners.

Contact Bill Cissell at 394-8412 or e-mail bill.cissell@rapidcityjournal.com

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Tribes ask court to stop range

2003-03-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

Tribes ask court to stop range
By Bill Cissell, Journal Staff Writer Tuesday, March 04, 2003

RAPID CITY
Four American Indian tribes and a volunteer organization composed primarily of Indian people want the federal court to stop construction of a shooting range north of Sturgis and Bear Butte.

The Northern Cheyenne, Rosebud Sioux, Crow Creek Sioux and Yankton Sioux tribes and Defenders of the Black Hills filed a motion Friday in U.S. District Court in Rapid City for a preliminary injunction to stop the spending of federal dollars on the Black Hills Sportsman's Complex.

Named in the suit as defendants are U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez, Black Hills Council of Local Governments, Sturgis Industrial Expansion Corp., the city of Sturgis and Black Hills Sportsman's Complex.

The noise from the range, about four miles north of Bear Butte, will be a distraction to tribal ceremonies, according to court documents. The tribes also claim they should have been part of the planning process and didn't know anything about the shooting range until former Gov. Bill Janklow approved it late last year.

Proponents of the facility say the range will provide a much-needed practice and training area for shooting organizations, local law enforcement officials and others. The Black Hills is also home to almost a dozen gun- and ammunition-manufacturing businesses that could use the range to test and demonstrate new products.

Complex officials said they would have no comment on the issue because it is now in court.

Charmaine White Face, a spokeswoman for Defenders of the Black Hills, said she didn't know when the court might act but said there is a request for the court to act quickly.

Contact Bill Cissell at 394-8412 or bill.cissell@rapidcityjournal.com

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2003/03/04/news/local/news05.txt

Bear Butte threatened by shooting range

2003-02-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

Bear Butte threatened by shooting range Email this page Print this page
Posted: February 24, 2003
by: Suzan Shown Harjo / Indian Country Today

In the Tsistsistas language of the Cheyenne Nation, Bear Butte is Nowahwus, Holy Mountain. In 50 other Native languages, it is called sacred ground, a place of peace and sanctuary.

Native people go to this honored place to pray, to commemorate events and persons, to seek spiritual wisdom and guidance, to renew traditions and sacred objects, to mark passages of life and to make pilgrimages and offerings.

Holy Mountain rises 1,400 feet above the prairies of the Great Plains, just beyond the northern tip of the Black Hills. It is a National Historic Landmark in the Bear Butte State Park on the South Dakota side of the border with Wyoming.

Eagles and hawks calling from the mountaintop can be heard from great distances. Those are the loudest sounds in the area, if you don't count the week every August when 400,000 bikers descend on the town of Sturgis, S.D., some ten miles from Bear Butte.

The tranquility of Holy Mountain is about to be shattered by 10,000 gunshot rounds daily, if private investors get the shooting range and sports complex they have been developing in secret for more than a year.

Well, not really in secret. The mayor of Sturgis, Mark Ziegler, knew about it a year ago. He says Rep. William J. Janklow, R-S.D., who was then the state's governor, brought the project to his attention.

The federal housing department knew about it and ponied up a $250,000 community development starter grant last year. The Black Hills Council of Local Governments knew about it. They got the quarter-million dollars.

The only ones who weren't in on the secret were the tribal governments who own property at Bear Butte and the Indian people who pray there.

The developers, the state and the feds ignored a whole lot of laws when they failed to consult with or even inform those tribal and traditional religious leaders with proprietary, environmental, cultural and religious interests in Bear Butte.

From time immemorial, Cheyenne, Lakota, Arapaho, Kiowa, Crow, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara and other people have gone to Bear Butte for religious purposes.

Long before Europeans came to our countries to escape religious persecution in their homelands, Bear Butte was a center of religious freedom.

In all the traditions and histories of those with millennial experience at Bear Butte, there is no record of a hostile encounter or argument. None, that is, until the U.S. Army and federal Indian Police were dispatched in the late 1800s to capture or kill Indians who tried to go there.

Under the federal "Civilization Regulations" from the 1880s to the 1930s, traditional religious practices were banned and people who tried to go to sacred places to pray were punished severely and even marked for death. Most sacred places were declared part of the public domain and later divided up among the federal agencies, states, miners and other non-Indian squatters.

That is how the Bear Butte Indian lands ended up in state and private non-Indian hands.

Boosters of the shooting project say its rifle, pistol and skeet ranges will not affect Bear Butte because it will be located four miles from the mountain.

Existing plans call for testing by the gun industry, but the caliber and decibel level of the weapons to be tested are not specified. Because no environmental impact study has been conducted, the effect of the project on the air quality and serenity of Bear Butte is not known.

The impact of the project on people praying, eagles nesting or buffalo grazing at the base of Bear Butte has not been studied.

There has been no objective scrutiny of the plans for the entire sports complex, with its proposed clubhouse, restaurant and motel. At the very least, they will significantly increase water usage in the area at a time when local sprawl and development are drying up the springs and medicine plants at Bear Butte.

This decrease in water also is a contributing factor to the current condition of soil erosion at Bear Butte. In 1996, a large fire consumed most of the trees and underbrush along one face of the mountain. Even though young trees are growing now, there is not enough moisture or plant life to stop the soil from wearing away.

Bear Butte is more of a mountain than a butte. It's a volcano that bubbled up and bulged the earth's surface, but never erupted. It's on the east end of a spine of volcanoes extending 60 miles west to Devil's Tower, which can be seen from the top of the mountain.

In 1874, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer rode his horse to the top of Bear Butte. In this place of prayer and contemplation where everyone walks gently and whispers, Custer's bombast could not have endeared him to any Indian people praying on Holy Mountain that day.

Cheyenne people at Bear Butte would have known of Custer from his campaigns against their relatives in what is now Oklahoma, particularly at the Washita Massacre of Cheyenne Peace Chief Black Kettle and his people.

Lakota people at Bear Butte would have known of Custer from his campaigns against their relatives. Custer was despised as the person who triggered the gold rush and massive desecration of the Black Hills.

Within two years after Custer's defilement of Bear Butte, he was killed by Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Both in life and in death, Custer ushered in the era of official sacrilege of Indian sacred places and criminalization of traditional Indian people.

A Sturgis historian and former Rapid City Journal reporter, Bob Lee, wrote an opinion piece for that newspaper in mid-Feb., "No one opposed early firing range." Citing his own writings as his authoritative source on Indian history and religion - and getting much of the story wrong in the process - he peddles a tale that "present-day Indian activists are voicing grievances that didn't exist with their ancestors."

Lee claims that Fort Meade, just east of Sturgis, operated a firing range throughout its 66-year history "even closer to Bear Butte without complaint" from Indian people. Fort Meade was established in 1878 as a 7th Cavalry post to protect prospectors from the Indians. Lee fails to mention that Custer was the fort's first commander and that Indians were the targets of the "firing range."

Lee makes much of the "55 Indian soldiers" who were stationed at Fort Meade and "used the fort's firing range without complaint of its proximity to Bear Butte."

This point is "absurd," said noted historian and attorney Vine Deloria Jr.

Deloria, who is Standing Rock Sioux and the author of more than two dozen books, said: "People serving in a foreign army are hardly the spiritual leaders of a country."

Lee claims that Bear Butte wasn't sacred to the Lakota "until after the butte was established as a state park in 1962." This is untrue, as historians worth their salt know and have documented, and as representatives of the Cheyenne River, Oglala and other Sioux tribes have been saying clearly and publicly in connection with the proposed shooting range.

He falsely claims that the Cheyenne "religion originated there." Tsistsistas Prophet Sweet Medicine received visions, medicines and instructions at Bear Butte that dramatically changed societal and ceremonial order, but Cheyenne religion existed for thousands of years before that time.

Lee also misperceives the history that is unfolding now, wrongly stating that "no objections to the proposed firing range in the vicinity of Bear Butte have come from the Cheyenne, who have been making pilgrimages to their sacred shrine for generations." Cheyenne leaders are clearly saying that the shooting range project would impede religious freedom and other rights.

Holy Mountain has been standing for more than 500 million years. It has taken the white man a little over a century to bring her to this point of endangerment. For more than 50 of those years, the federal government tried, but failed, to keep Indians away from Bear Butte. Today, it seems that developers and government agents are trying to take the mountain away from the Indians.

Bear Butte is strong and they will fail in this, too.

Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee, is president of the Morning Star Institute in Washington, D.C., and a columnist for Indian Country Today.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1046104233