Bear Butte Under Attack

A Cry for Help An addition to Wakinyan for members of Friends

Hello again, I have just had word of a problem over at Bear Butte, as far as I know it is not widely known so I thought I would send information out to our members and maybe you can pass the word on.

I am going to use words that are not mine for this. They come straight from the ''Defenders of the Black Hills'' website that is giving out the news about the problem. Bear Butte Under Attack!

The City of Sturgis and a group of private investors plan to build a sports complex/shooting range just 4 miles north of Bear Butte. They have already spent $250,000 to $260,000 of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) money to date on the project. Although they knew Bear Butte was sacred to many Plains tribes, no tribes were consulted about the proposal, a possible violation of federal laws.

Some of the effects of the shooting range will be:

The sound of an estimated 10,000 rounds per day being fired from rifles and handguns will affect the silence and serenity of people from more than 60 different tribes who come to pray at Bear Butte, as well as non tribal people.

Increased air pollution caused by the firing of the estimated 10,000 rounds per day. Increased traffic to the shooting range by patrons and employees, as a clubhouse, motel, and restaurant are planned.

The sounds and activity will affect birds and wild life in the Bear Butte Area, and in particular, the eagle, which is important in Native American spirituality and ceremonies. Possible effects on patients at Fort Meade Veterans Administration Hospital from the sounds of distant gunfire.

No Native American Spiritual leaders, or Tribal Leaders were ever contacted about the plans to build the shooting range which will affect so many people who pray at Bear Butte. As Bear Butte is one of the most important sacred places on the North American continent, in order to provide some protection to this site, we must unite together to stop any more destruction at Bear Butte and other sacred places in the Black Hills.

The legality of land ownership as this area still belongs to the Great Sioux Nation according to the Peace Treaties of 1851 & 1868 made between the Great Sioux Nation and the United States, and in accordance with the US Constitution which states that "treaties are the supreme law of the land".

Please visit their website and read more about this issue.  

If you are interested in signing a petition about this there is one at the URL below Thanks for your interest. Gloria