Native Sun News Today: Native women lead 70-mile ride

Tuesday, August 18, 2020  

BEAR BUTTE – About 100 people from all across the land gathered at this Native sacred site August 9 to pray and participate in the Sturgis Medicine Wheel Ride 2020 to raise awareness about the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Children and Two-Spirit relatives.

Native women motorcyclists led the 70-mile ride from Bear Butte, through the scene of the annual 10-day Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, to Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills.

Dawning masks to protect from the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, they rode in support of the community non-profits Red Ribbon Skirt Society and Where all Women are Honored, located in Rapid City. The motorcade ended with an art exhibit and benefit sales at the mountain carving of Crazy Horse.

As the Sturgis rally marked its 80th year, drawing hundreds of thousands of bikers to the area, organizers of the event also teamed up with three other civic groups in an unprecedented effort to help curb the nationwide problem of sex trafficking and violence.

They set up a booth attracting rally-goers to the “Fast Ride” program with an invitation to “come hear about what all is taking place around the country to combat trafficking. Hear from survivors that have been in the trade and escaped,” they said.

The invitation called for people to “come ride with the members of these organizations that are doing something about trafficking and find out how you can help.” It lists co-sponsors as Ride My Road, Fighting Against Trafficking, and The Epik Project.

State, county, and city law enforcement officers were on duty supporting the novel rides for the cause.

Contact Talli Nauman at talli.nauman@gmail.com

Copyright permission Native Sun News Today