Environment | National

Native Sun News: Rosebud Sioux Tribe battles bar near sacred site

Friday, June 3, 2016

Earth moving goes on at full throttle as biker bar promoters push for permits to expand campground 50 acres toward Bear Butte sacred protected site. Photo courtesy Nancy Hilding

Rosebud’s plea to protect Bear Butte from ‘World’s Biggest Biker Bar’ rejected
By Talli Nauman
Native Sun News
Health & Environment Editor
www.nsweekly.com

STURGIS –– Ignoring the advice of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, a local planning board recommended the Meade County Commission grant final approval at its May 25 meeting for “the world’s biggest biker bar” and resort to expand within two miles of sacred Mato Tipila, or Bear Butte.

Calling for an environmental assessment in a letter written on behalf of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, President William Kindle urged planning board members: “Please consider and protect our sacred Bear Butte!”

However, at their May 16 meeting, the Meade County Planning Board members unanimously voted to recommend the commission’s final approval of the plat for the expansion.

Bear Butte State Park is a National Historic Landmark, a protected area that is a shrine for more than 60 tribes.

Applying for the plat approval, Michael Ballard, who dubs his Full Throttle Saloon the World’s Largest Biker Bar, wants to rebuild here, after his former saloon burned down in 2015.

He obtained unanimous preliminary approval from the Meade County Planning Commission on April 18 and from the Meade County Commission on May 11.

Ballard has promised to rebuild the bar, performance venue, campground and 400 cabins in time to serve the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected for the August 2016 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Before the planning board’s vote on final approval May 16, Rosebud Tribal Chair Kindle entreated county authorities: “I would appreciate it if you and your committee members would deny Mr. Ballard’s request for a 50-acre plat expansion for this proposed development.”

He said the tribe has “grave concerns because this would additionally impact an area that is already stressed by those outsiders who feel the need to develop additional adult entertainment/play spaces, which are located in close proximity to our place of prayer, Bear Butte.

“Not only would this bring additional people imbibing in alcohol (if granted a liquor/beer license), and obnoxious revelry near our sacred site, there would most likely be a serious impact to the water and the ecology of the area,” Kindle said.