Analysis Of Bear Butte Controversy And Social Issues Related To It
Why is the decision to shrink the land of the Bear Butte National Park so controversial? Why is the land considered sacred? Why should anyone care? The history of Bear Butte is often overlooked when answering these questions. This paper will delve deep into the immense history of Bear Butte and will further explain why the South Dakota land is held sacred to Native Americans. The objective of this paper is to analyze this controversy through different perspectives and to better understand the social justice issues surrounding Native American citizens and their land.
Bear Butte, called ‘Nowah’wus’ in Cheyenne, is also referred to as ‘Sacred Mountain Where People Are Taught’ and ‘Medicine Pipe Mountain’ by Native Americans. Bear Butte is often compared to the ceremonial structure “Maheonoxsz, the sacred caves”, and “Heszevoxsz, the underground caverns where the animal spirits reside. ”
Bear Butte is comparable to the religious city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia because both places hold similar traditions such as praying, fasting, and honoring of the deceased spirits. A popular tradition held at Bear Butte is when people facing times of crisis received sacred knowledge. The article contains an excerpt from Cheyenne Memories by John Stands. The excerpt starts off when a man named Sweet Medicine found himself in a predicament because he had broken the rules by going up a hill alone to get closer to a herd of buffalos in order to have an easier target to shoot them. He was supposed to find a place to hide with his people near a trail and wait for the herd of buffalos to pass by them on their way to find water. After breaking the rules, the soldiers came looking for him.
Sweet Medicine managed to escape from the soldiers by devising a plan with his grandmother. Before the soldiers arrived at his grandmother's tipi, Sweet Medicine asked her to inform the soldiers that he was hiding inside the tipi, then his grandmother would pour the soup pot into the fire so it would explode. When the soldiers arrived, his plan was a success and he was able to escape. As Sweet Medicine fled from the soldiers, he ran over ridges of land. He emerged into sight with different clothing and objects in hand each time. First, he came over a ridge with feathers on his head, paint on his body, and was holding a bow. The second time, he came up with an elk horn, a spear that was wrapped with the skin of an otter and had four feathers of an eagle. After this, he appeared with feathers in his hair and red paint on his body. Next, he emerged dressed as the Dog Soldiers with rope on his belt and a rattle with feathers on it. Finally, he came into view for the last time with a peace pipe, buffalo robe, and one single feather from an eagle in his hair. The soldiers had looked everywhere for Sweet Medicine, but he would not return for several years. After his successful escape, Sweet Medicine ended up in Black Hills and arrived at Noahvose. This mountain would eventually be called Bear Butte. While he was there he discovered that there were gods that looked just like regular people. They ordered Sweet Medicine to bring goods back to his people. He was ordered by the gods to supply his people a reliable government, which was meant to have a certain number of chiefs, as well as a strong military.
The final part of the article examines Cheyenne life before and after the Prophet Sweet Medicine came to them. The Cheyenne people lived in barbaric way before Sweet Medicine. They had driven the prophet away for several years, but when he returned, he brought them special sacred items. He returned to them with a buffalo for them to eat and the four great-medicine arrows. They were meant to signify the future of the Cheyenne people. They supposedly contained supernatural powers. Two of the arrows had a strong power over other people and the other two arrows had power over animals.
To this day, the Cheyenne people still perform the sacred arrow ceremony in the exact same way that they learned from the Prophet. Unfortunately, due to an error by an arrow keeper around seventy years ago, the arrows were stolen by a Pawnee warrior. Two of the arrows were restored to the Cheyenne people while the other two had to be remade. The warriors of the warrior societies that Sweet Medicine founded possessed ample courage and bravery. They possessed a powerful presence of mind, were always alert, brave, and protected his people. The first articles regarding the shrinking of the Bear Butte land focus more on the political division and how the situation will affect the general American public today and in the future. It does not delve into the past or take into consideration the historical aspects of Bear Butte. It does not mention in detail why the land is sacred or why it should be preserved. It focuses on the stances of politicians regarding what should be done with the land. It does provide a few quotes from some Native Americans stating that they are not in favor of the land being tampered with.
Overall, the articles seem to be politically oriented and focus on the beneficence for the general public and only partially takes into consideration the thoughts and feelings of Native Americans regarding their land. In the summer of 2006, a man named Jay Allen built a roadhouse bar called Broken Spoke very close to the Bear Butte land. Allen made this roadhouse bar offensive to Native Americans in every way possible. He had it painted a bright red color which took away from the land’s scenery, built a distasteful oversized parking lot, and had plans to build an enormous amphitheater to hold loud shows. “He believes he will earn more money at a roadhouse that fronts Bear Butte than one located on the undifferentiated plains directly east of Sturgis. In doing so, he is appropriating something that belongs to the American Indian community, something sacred, for his personal profit. ”
This is a clear example of blatant disrespect to Native American land from over a decade ago. The disrespect of the sacred lands of Native Americans is not just a recent issue. This has been occurring for many years. Another article refers to a Native American man named Jim Jandreau. He was the first manager at Bear Butte that was Native American. In the article he talks about how wonderful the Bear Butte land is and the special connections visitors make there. “You cannot take away the spirituality of this mountain, which is its true draw. That is its true magnificence. For everybody that comes here, I believe it is different. No two people that come here have the same experience. ” The Bear Butte controversy is a clear modern-day example of social injustice against Native Americans. The situation clearly expresses how Native Americans are being treated as less important members of the United States. Their opinions and beliefs are being overshadowed by the voices of politicians.
The shrinking of the Bear Butte National Park is an undeniable violation of Native American rights which is why so many people, including activists and regular United States citizens, are protesting and fighting to protect this sacred land. From what I have learned so far not only about the Bear Butte controversy, but also about Native American peoples and their history in class, I know that I am a privileged white American citizen and it is my duty to stand up for what I believe in. I know that because of my privilege and position in society, my voice may be more powerful than others, so I must do what I can to make a change in situations I feel are unjust. There are countless ways that people like me can bring awareness to this issue, including the use of social media, speaking with elected officials in my area and getting involved in local protests.
In conclusion, the shrinking of the sacred Bear Butte land is a topic that has had a tremendous impact on me. When I had first learned about this controversy, I instantly sided with Native Americans on leaving the land untouched. After reading more in depth about the issue, such as taking into account different opinions and exploring the history of the land, it has made me even more passionate about preserving the land as well as doing everything in my power for mine and others’ voices to be heard. Learning about Bear Butte has opened my eyes to the inequality Native Americans face and has helped me to understand their outrage and opposition. The history of Bear butte is intriguing and captivating and I believe that if more people would educate themselves about it, minimizing the land would not be up for debate at all.
