Statement by Carter Camp on Bear Butte
April 7, 2006
Ah-ho My Relations,
Many things have happened since I sent out the last update from the
"Intertribal Coalition to Defend Bear Butte" but one thing has
overshadowed everything else. Jay Allen HAS BEGUN CONSTRUCTION on the
huge, 600 acre, "biker bar/concert venue" only a few hundred yards north
of the Sacred Mountain!! We have posted some of the pictures on our website
but I warn you they're ugly. He began the
construction well before the county granted him the license to sell booze
so both he and we knew how the vote would go.
Last Tuesday over a thousand Indian people gathered to pray on Bear Butte
and march to the Meade County Courthouse to show the County just how
serious a step they were taking when they vote to approve the liquor
license for Jay Allen. We were led by Treaty Council Chiefs Oliver Red
Cloud and Floyd Hand and many other traditional Chiefs and Headsmen. The
Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council came to stand with us, as did
Council members from Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Cheyenne River and Lower Brule. A
group of Akicita, Eagle Staff Carriers, were followed by a group of
veterans in camo dress carrying the American Flag and the black MIA flag
alongside the Tribal flags. Walking in front of us all in pride and
dignity was the 19th generation, "Keeper of the Sacred Pipe Bundle", Chief
Arvol Looking Horse.
As is always the case as the morning dawned on Tuesday those of us who
organized the protest wondered how many people would take time from their
weekday schedule and travel from the reservation homelands to stand with
us for the sacred mountain. At first the parking lot held a few knots of
people standing around talking and shaking hands greeting each other. Then
as the ten o'clock starting time came closer more and more cars began to
arrive and the lot began to fill. A school bus from Takini pulled in and
the energy all around rose. Then up the road came our invited escort of
bikers on their big Harleys who had ridden in from Denver. Veterans in
their fatigues began to assemble and a speaker system was mounted on Tom
Cook's flatbed truck and the drum placed in the middle. Six or eight young
men jumped up on the truck to sing an opening prayer song before our
honored Sicangu Elder, Lorraine Iron Shell Walking Bull, an honored woman
who has been steadfast in her work to defend Bear Butte, offered a prayer
to the Mountain for all of us.
After the opening prayers I was called upon to explain the recent history
of our struggle and how the gathering was organized. As I looked around I
was struck by the singular honor that I was being given to speak at such a
historic gathering of Indian people. Our people gathered in a large circle
as the prayers began so I was able to look into the crowd and recognize
strong traditional leaders and Sundance Chiefs like Rick Two Dogs, Wilmer
Mesteth, Keith Horse Looking, Russell Eagle Bear and others. (I shouldn't
have begun mentioning names because so many were there that my poor memory
will fail to mention some notable people like Rocky Afraid of Hawk and his
wife Pam who are founding members of the Coalition.) I say these things to
tell you how truly awesome the gathering was to me as I stood facing Mato
Paha and a thousand brave Indian people who were determined to save our
mountain that day.
It's hard for me to describe the many inspiring talks were given in front
of the mountain that morning. Organizers like Debra White Plume of our
Coalition and Owe Aku, Anne White Hat of the BBIA and Sicangu Way of Life
spoke for all of us who have spent the past year getting ready for this
struggle. Alex White Plume, Vice Chair of the Oglala Lakota Nation spoke
of his nations determination to defend the entire Black Hills and the
Oglala's willingness to take a stand for Bear Butte. The Thunderhawk drum
then sang a special strongheart song for Crazy Horse that Chief Floyd Hand
requested before he told the people to stand strong no matter how hard it
gets. He told us the entire Teton Nations Treaty Council was behind us and
that if we stay together we can win. Then Chief Red Cloud spoke to us
about how his Grandfather had fought for the Black Hills and drove the
whiteman out of them. He said Mato Paha still belongs to our people and
that we must fight for her in the name of our future generations. Then
Chief Looking Horse came forward to offer a wonderful prayer to and for
Bear Butte and all the red nations. With that the hearts of the people
soared and we happily began to get into cars for the caravan to Sturgis.
The caravan was led from Bear Butte by our biker allies, followed by a van
with our own security men and the flatbed truck with the drum and singers.
Following them was a long caravan of cars, pickups, school bus and tribal
Elders vans. It was well over a hundred cars and from where I was we could
barely hear the drum and singers as we slowly drove into Sturgis. Once in
Sturgis we dismounted in the park to march the final eight or ten blocks
into town. Now the truck with the drummers went first, then Chief Arvol
striding alone in his Headress and Chief's shirt. Behind him were the
Eagle Staff Carriers, including me with the Coalition Staff, behind us the
veterans marched with the American, Tribal and MIA flags. Then a thousand
beautiful people came, the young ones chanting "Save Bear Butte!" "Save
Bear Butte!" all the way through town.
The route the local cops had planned out for us went down a small side
street and only came on the main thoroughfare the final block or so.
However my son Poj Camp was in charge of security and he had mapped out a
different route:), at the right corner he turned the lead truck left so
now the march was going past the Broken Spoke Saloon and turning right
down the main drag! At first I could see every cop grab their mics and
report what had happened, the lead cops were already going down the
sidestreet alone while the Indians were marching right past the
B.S.Saloon! Then we turned down the main street and spread out across the
entire street instead of one way, I loved it as now we could then march
where all of Sturgis had to see us.
As we reached our destination the drum began the AIM song and all the
women sang in chorus, Chief Looking Horse began to dance and all the Staff
Carriers and Flag carriers danced behind him to the steps of the community
building where we were to gather. It was a powerful march and as we made
our way into the building I could feel the energy and power of my people,
all with one mind and united in purpose.
After a meal we once again assembled to march the final three blocks up
the hill to the courtroom where the hearing would be held. The only
difference in the march order was we were led by a Cheyenne River police
car manned by two young Lakota policemen who were also sundancers and
traditional men. As we began the drums sang warrior songs for us and the
women trilled their encouragement to be strong when facing an enemy. Once
again Arvol led us up to the courthouse door and we gathered in a large
circle around him, dancing with our staffs until the songs were finished
then whooping in defiance to let the wasicu know we had arrived.
In a way the following hearing was a farce and at the same time a
wonderful thing. It was a farce because the outcome was a foregone
conclusion. It was wonderful because so many leaders of our people were
able to tell the world, on the record, about our Sacred Mountain and what
she means to our Nations. Our rally filled the street outside while
seventy of our people were able to fit into the crowded auditorium inside.
Elders, Chiefs and Tribal leaders explained for over an hour the history
of Bear Butte, her place in our beliefs and ceremonies and how the noisy,
drunken biker bar would forever destroy the sanctity of the sacred places
upon her. Tribe after Tribe, leader after leader gave testimony, we told
them how bad the location was for a beer bar and just what the mountain
meant to our various Nations. We told them of ten thousand years of
peaceful worship that has taken place on Bear Butte and how the spirits
and medicine on the mountain would be threatened by the noise and filth of
Jay Allen's proposal. It was wonderful to hear.
On behalf of the bar a lawyer spoke briefly, a town racist spoke, a bar
maid testified that Allen was a good boss and Allen testified that he
respected Indians. Based on everything they had heard that day the Meade
County Commissioners then voted unanimously to give Jay Allen a liquor
license. Not one commissioner had ears.
Adding to this alarming development is the fact that the Meade County
Commissioners have renewed all the liquor licenses for the other booze and
concert venues surrounding Bear Butte. Plus the State legislature refused
to even hear the bill introduced by Indian legislators to establish a
buffer zone around Bear Butte.
Even though we expected these bad developments they are none the less
disappointing and show us all that Indian people will not be heard in the
normal channels of political discourse in South Dakota. These actions only
serve to make it even more vital that the people gather at the time of the
"Sturgis Bike Rally" to show America that if they destroy this sacred
place, they also destroy we Indians as a people. We must gather to show
them that the destruction of our sacred mountain is an act of genocide
against the indigenous people of this land just as the destruction of the
buffalo was to our Grandparents.
If you care to help us please visit our web site
and sign up for the long hot summer that faces our people. We had one
thousand Tuesday, this summer we need ten times that many, I hope you will
be one of us.
Carter Camp, Inter-Tribal Coalition to Defend Bear Butte
Defend Bear Butte
http://www.DefendBearButte.org
Contents
April 2006 Reports
See earlier reports as archived by month on the Content Page
Last updated on April 7, 2006