THE DESTRUCTION HAS BEGUN!

April 6, 2006

Sturgis - Tuesday, April 4 2006 - Hundreds rally to Protect Bear Butte

The people spoke, but the Meade County Commissioners' ears were closed. Over eight hundred marched through Sturgis to deliver a resounding message to the Commissioners: "Protect Bear Butte, NO beer license for Jay Allen's massive biker bar!" The Commissioners ignored the overwhelming public opposition and unanimously voted to approve Allen's beer license application.

(Disgusted with the racist desecration of one of the most important sacred sites in the Northern Plains? Join the Gathering of Nations to Defend Bear Butte this summer!)

Commissioners ignore public opposition

Chief Oliver Red Cloud, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, Unci's (grandmothers) Lorraine Walking Bull and Isabel Guerue, and many others looked on as Jay Allen, his lawyer, and his employees demanded their "Constitutional rights" and "property rights" to do whatever they want with "their land" (though all of the land surrounding Bear Butte and throughout the Black Hills belongs to the Lakota nation according to the Ft. Laramie treaty of 1868). Allen's employee Sasha Mullins testified that Allen "cares about everybody." Allen, an Arizona businessman, expressed embarrassment about the protest but commented that he feels totally justified in what he is doing and is proud of his development proposal.

Meade County elected officials listened to less than twenty speakers out of the 800-plus who came to express their disapproval of the Commissioners' negligent land-use policies that continue the religious persecution of indigenous nations. Chiefs, elders, traditional leaders and tribal government representatives from numerous Plains tribes testified to the sacredness and importance of Bear Butte to their people. Meade County ranchers and residents asked the Commissioners to deny the license, citing the harmful effects of excessive noise and trash from the bike rally on their community. Bikers from the group 'Rolling for Bear Butte' also asked the Commissioners to deny the license application. The Commissioners received over 600 letters in the weeks prior to the hearing, all but a handful opposing Allen's beer license application. Despite this outpouring of public opposition, the Commissioners took only a few minutes to unanimously grant the beer license.

See photos of the rally or news articles.

What's next?

This summer, from July 4 to August 15, all the nations that hold Bear Butte sacred will gather at Bear Butte to defend the mountain from desecration.

Gathering of Nations to Defend Bear Butte a Call to Action to all of our allies to Gather at Bear Butte

Come and set up camp July 4th. We will make our voice heard: stop desecration of sacred places, stop the desecration of an ancient way of life for many tribes. Stop the violation of the human right to prayer. Come to Bear Butte this summer!

What is the Future of Bear Butte?

Construction in progress on Jay Allen's new massive biker bar, Sturgis County Line (take action now to stop the desecration).

Three weeks ago, bulldozers broke ground for "Sturgis County Line," a massive new biker bar and concert venue to be located on 600 acres at the base of Bear Butte. Bear Butte (on the outskirts of the Black Hills, near Sturgis, SD) is a sacred place of prayer for over thirty Native Nations across the Great Plains, as well as a state park and a national historic landmark. Each year thousands of Native people travel to pray at Bear Butte.

Arizona entrepreneur Jay Allen originally planned to name his venue "Sacred Grounds" and to erect an 80-foot statue of a Native person outside the bar. He boasts on his web site that the re-named Sturgis County Line will provide "hundreds of acres to party... in a safe haven, free from a policed environment, that's what I'm talking about! ... over 150,000 s.f. of asphalt for semi-tractor trailors... 22,500 s.f. of... ice cold beer... kick-butt music & oh yea, hot hot women!"[1] The 600-acre complex will include an outdoor amphitheater with space for 30,000 people.

Excerpts from the web sites of the Sturgis County Line and Broken Spoke Saloon as posted by their owner Jay Allen (March 11, 2006).

In his own words
from "Jay Allen, owner of the World's Biggest Biker Bar":
"... I really believe the creator put certain people on Earth to preserve the past... I believe I'm one of them...
"... the Broken Spoke Saloon is moving... onto 600 acres called Sturgis County Line... situated at the base of the sacred Bear Butte Mountain...
"... Just think, hundreds of acres to party... in a safe haven, free from a policed environment, that's what I'm talking about!
"... an 1800s school house with a deck. It's never too late to go back for some schooling, especially when the teachers are serving ice cold beer. You're guaranteed to leave with a serious crush on the teacher.
"... The first phase of Sturgis County Line will have over 150,000 s.f. of asphalt for semi-tractor trailors... and one hell-of-a-lot of parking spaces for the bikers... 22,500 s.f. of... ice cold beer... kick-butt music & oh yea, hot hot women!...
"... a stage that has been constructed to meet the specifications of the biggest music acts known to mankind. The best thing of all is when you look over the top of the stage Bear Butte Mountain will be poised as if it were the crown of a king... Sturgis County Line Amphitheater will comfortably accommodate 30,000+ concert goers...
"... So sit back with a cold one while watching a Bear Butte Sunset! It doesn't get better than that..."

THE DESECRATION HAS BEGUN!

Photo © Bear Butte International Alliance

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Special thanks to Glenda Deer for the lead.

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April 2006 Reports

Last updated on April 10, 2006