Liquor Licenses Threaten Quiet At Native American Religious Site

In Sturgis, South Dakota, for the third time since April the Meade County Commission approved alcohol licenses for the annual August Black Hills Motorcycle Rally, according to today’s Rapid City (South Dakota) Journal. The licenses are opposed by Native American groups who say they need peace and quiet at Bear Butte where Plains Indians have participated in Sun Dances and other religious ceremonies for centuries. Opponents of the licenses have now raised new questions about compliance with environmental and historic preservation laws.