American Indians Confront Bikers

[graymatter]

By CARSON WALKER, Associated Press Writer

STURGIS, S.D. - American Indians protesting development encroaching on sacred Bear Butte peacefully confronted bikers gathering Friday for a raucous annual motorcycle rally.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, scheduled Aug. 7-13, attracted 525,000 bikers last year and commercial development near the mountain has been driven in a large part by the event.

Indians have come to Bear Butte to pray, fast and hold religious ceremonies for centuries, but say noise from the bars, campgrounds and concert venues disrupts the peace.

"People pray on that mountain and they can't pray when there's a bunch of drunks," said Veronica Kills In Water of Denver, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

A couple hundred protesters carried signs and chanted "Don't ride 79" as they walked up to the Meade County Courthouse. State Highway 79 goes past the butte and the entertainment sites that are closest to it.

Alex White Plume, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said he will continue to seek a 5-mile buffer zone around the western South Dakota butte to prevent more development.

"We will not give up that fight," White Plume told the crowd.

County commissioners have said they have no basis to deny issuing alcohol licenses and people have the right to use land as they see fit.

Many of the bikers rumbling by on Harley-Davidsons or walking the sidewalk were curious. Police eventually stood between them and the Indians to make sure the demonstration stayed peaceful.

Jack Zimmer of Omaha, Neb., supported the effort to protect the site Indians consider sacred.

"I have to agree there's enough areas that are developed," he said.

John Bolek of Greenbush, Minn., said he's been driving Highway 79 for years during the rally and the protest won't change that. He suggested the protesters were likely angry about not benefiting financially.

One vendor across the street said he paid good money to be there and the demonstration was turning customers away from his booth.

"There were people here before and now they're looking at me like it's my fault," said Kevin Franke of Rumbling Pride, which sells motorcycle flags, kits and other items.

graymatter Reviewed by graymatter on 08-05-2006. American Indians Confront Bikers By CARSON WALKER, Associated Press Writer STURGIS, S.D. - American Indians protesting development encroaching on sacred Bear Butte peacefully confronted bikers gathering Friday for a raucous annual motorcycle rally. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, scheduled Aug. 7-13, attracted 525,000 bikers last year and commercial development near the mountain has been driven in a large part by the event. Indians have come to Bear Butte to pray, fast and hold religious ceremonies for centuries, but Rating: 5

[Euphoric]

nuke them all i say

[psychocat]

IMO It was their country first before any of the so called Americans of today laid claim to something they had no right to.

[LegallyBlind]

Psycho every single nation established today had to take the land from somebody. Do you see other nations being sympathetic to the people they took their land from. Its how the world works.

[graymatter]

But we americans have a knack for it... Hell, once we subdued the natives here we decided to give a whack everywhere... and we can see that it's working out really swell in the middle east.

[paparose]

Psycho every single nation established today had to take the land from somebody. Do you see other nations being sympathetic to the people they took their land from. Its how the world works.

well the thing is, your people slaughtered them like animals!!!!
They litterally stole their lands with lies. back then there were Indian hunters (Bill Clintons grandfather for example) and those people killed the natives like savage animals. White folks never fought bravely against them, whites had massive firearm power while indians had arrows and bows. just like the situation between israel and lebanon today. They always told lies to Indians, they always gave them promises that they never kept even one. Whites even gave them blankets with chicken pox viruses on, killing thousands, first biological weapon ever used against a human being, Well then you have atomic bombs that killed thousands instantly in Japan... how proud are you?

as the song says I see no bravery....


back then people used to fight in just wars with equivalent military power, those were brave man. Killing thousand with mega bombs, nukes, a-bombs can lead you win the war but does not give you the honor, it only shows how cruel human could be.

Raping and killing civilians in Iraq? It looks loke not much have changed since indian days. You still kill people without even blinking an eye and you can just walk away cause big brothers are protecting you, sweet..
In 200 years from killing indians to killing iraqis....When these killings gonna be ever over? In order to be the super power some people have to give up lives somewhere? Where is the greatness of this? If it is what it takes to be the super power we should start judging our values and ethics...
A civilization that built on unjustice and blood eventually goes downward...look up the world history there are many examples......

[psychocat]

Very well said papa

[budsmoker]

this is the indians country and the white pilgrims stole there land
its a damn shame that indians are so discriminated againts in there country
and then u have all them white rednecks talking bout not 2 let immigrants from come here when its not even there country!

[budsmoker]

i gurantee u if the indians ran this country weed would legalized, crime would be down, and america would be a much better place 2 live

[PigSnout]

well the thing is, your people slaughtered them like animals!!!!
They litterally stole their lands with lies. back then there were Indian hunters (Bill Clintons grandfather for example) and those people killed the natives like savage animals. White folks never fought bravely against them, whites had massive firearm power while indians had arrows and bows. just like the situation between israel and lebanon today. They always told lies to Indians, they always gave them promises that they never kept even one. Whites even gave them blankets with chicken pox viruses on, killing thousands, first biological weapon ever used against a human being, Well then you have atomic bombs that killed thousands instantly in Japan... how proud are you?

as the song says I see no bravery....


back then people used to fight in just wars with equivalent military power, those were brave man. Killing thousand with mega bombs, nukes, a-bombs can lead you win the war but does not give you the honor, it only shows how cruel human could be.

Raping and killing civilians in Iraq? It looks loke not much have changed since indian days. You still kill people without even blinking an eye and you can just walk away cause big brothers are protecting you, sweet..
In 200 years from killing indians to killing iraqis....When these killings gonna be ever over? In order to be the super power some people have to give up lives somewhere? Where is the greatness of this? If it is what it takes to be the super power we should start judging our values and ethics...
A civilization that built on unjustice and blood eventually goes downward...look up the world history there are many examples......

Values and ethics?
How many of your relatives were killed in Pearl Harbor or in NY during 9/11? Or raped and killed by the Iraq government?
Get a clue. I'll help you out with one, never bring a knife to a gun fight.