Make-believe is South Dakota’s response to the Pandemic
Sturgis 2020: Despite coronavirus, bikers flock to Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08…
Sturgis 2020: Despite coronavirus, bikers flock to Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08…
My mom used to spend summers working the Rally. Many of the people she encountered were doctors, lawyers, and upper middle class professionals who played “outlaw” bikers on the weekend.
While SD condemns tribal gaming as “immoral,” the state hosts a drunk, drug binge fest at the base of one of our most sacred mountains, Mato Paha. I know Natives who attend the rally, but are critical of the disrespect of the landscape.
As SD ignores Native concerns over the landscape, it also ignores Native concerns about the pandemic. SD, like the bikers, plays make-believe, at great risk to everyone’s health. Tribes have taken a science approach based on consent and respect.
Full disclosure: I used to sneak into the Rally venues to watch the bands. Most of the audience was too drunk to appreciate the music. Lots of open sexual violence. White people go to a powwow to observe Native culture, we went to the Rally to witness white culture.
