Back in May I first blogged about Bear Butte and the controversy surrounding the mountain and the bar formally known as Sturgis County Line. As you may recall Bear Butte, located roughly 6 miles northeast of Sturgis, SD, is a sacred place to many Native American tribes. Some of these tribes come here for 3-4 months of the summer and hold sacred ceremonies and pray on the mountain.

 

              Another prominent event that takes place in the summer’s for Sturgis is the annual Sturgis Bike Rally which is a motorcycle rally held in August that draws somewhere around 510,00 people. In 2006 The Sturgis County Line Bar, a massive two story bar, opened just a mile away from the mountain to try and attract these bikers during the rally.

 

              The rally, which is known for tough bikers, loud parties, big fights and sometimes scantily clad women, keeps bikes roaring through the Black Hills for at least three weeks straight in a never-ending sea of black leather, shining chrome, and the roar of bikes. As you can imagine this atmosphere would make it hard to have somewhere peaceful and serene to go and pray and perform your ceremonies at.

 

              Well it is now July and with the Sturgis Bike Rally just around the corner the new owners have been making a push to get the liquor license once held by Jay Allen renewed. The reason for the license being denied in December was because of then owner Jay Allen and character issues surrounding him.

 

              After seven difficult months for both Target Logistics of Boston, who are the new owners of the bar and the Native people fighting for Bear Butte, the Meade County Commissioners decided to renew the liquor license for the bar.

 

              With the green light from the Meade County Commissioners Target Logistics plans to expand Broken Spoke Campground, the new name of Sturgis County Line, and add a pool and offer helicopter rides. The helicopter rides they said won’t fly directly over Bear Butte and therefore won’t disrupt the rituals of the Native people who are praying on the mountain.

 

              The company's president, Joe Murphy, says while during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally the venue may be loud and disruptive, "The remainder of time the campground is basically empty.  We have discussed expanding the season to all summer.  But, if it's during the summer, it will be a family-oriented campground which would not be disruptive, in my opinion, to anyone at all."

 

              However, Bear Butte advocators disagree and are not happy with the decision. County Commissioners said they feel confident that these new owners will have better business practices than the former ones and they trust them to uphold their word.