August 02, 2006

Sacred site vs. biker bar

An article on Bear Butte in South Dakota:

Indigenous summit to focus on saving sacred lands“Right now, they just know Native Americans hold it sacred, but we want them to know it's our place of prayer,” said the Lakota woman from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. “They don't understand because they don't see us there all year-round. Lakota people never stayed there because it was too sacred. We went there for our prayers and we left.”

But biker bar mogul Jay Allen, an Arizona businessman, is in the middle of creating a permanent presence less than two miles from the butte where Natives pray and perform ceremonies during about five months of the year. Allen has already broken ground for a 150,000-square-foot chunk of asphalt for trucks and for bikers to drink at his bar. A 30,000-seat amphitheater for concerts is also in the works.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

sounds like a good idea...

Nothing is sacred. The government knows it all. I vote yes for the better business and entertainment for society.

4/4 Indian votes YES to bike bar

Anonymous said...

I initially thought "Why not? This is on someone's private property and is not actually on the sacred site". But then I thought of the noise. The ROARING HARLEYS, which will definitely impact the neighbors.

Rob said...

No rights are absolute, not even First Amendment rights.

Rob said...

The Indians say the owner's property rights infringe on their religious rights. The owner says the opposite. A court could rule either way on the matter.