I just saw the following message, and I am completely FLOORED. For years now, I have been trying to help support my native friends in keeping their "church" sacred and free from commercial exploitation. Bear Butte is considered a sacred mountain to be used for silent prayer by the Lakota and other tribes who belong to the area.

Here's the message I saw....

Subject: Protection for Mato Paha (Bear Butte)

On July 10, 2008, the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association passed the attached resolution to Protect Mato Paha (Bear Butte). Mato Paha is a South Dakota State Park now Federal and private developments are encroaching on this site that is sacred to tribal people.

The Sturgis Rally will take place in August. While many bikers are respectful, the bars create problems. Drunkenness, lewdness and other disrespectful actions will occur in the bars which are developing closer and closer to Mato Paha. Despite protests of American Indian People and other supporters, the county has granted alcohol licenses to the bars. Recently, a corporation has purchased majority ownership in the bar closest to Mato Paha and they are going to have helicopter rides over the butte. We are informed this corporation is affiliated with or are former Blackwater high clearance mercenaries and have already strong armed some American Indians who were on public land taking pictures.

The Rosebud Sioux Tribe and Northern Cheyenne have land at the base of Mato Paha, but there is still land not owned by American Indian Tribes and the price of the land has increased tremendously so our Tribes cannot afford to purchase what should be our Land in the first place according to our Treaties.

Help is needed to protect our Sacred Sites and Mato Paha. Please feel free to contact me about the attached resolution by the GPTCA or the contact person for supporters of Mato Paha: tamra@protectsacredsites.org.

In Spirit,


A. Gay Kingman, Executive Director

Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association

1926 Stirling St.

Rapid City, SD 57702

Cell: 605-484-3036

Fax: 605-343-3074