BELLE FOURCHE—Motorcycle clubs, representing different tribes from all around the state, descended on Belle Fourche to use it as a staging location to prepare for the final leg of the journey to the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Riders came from several reservations and communities, joining together along the route as they made their way to the Center of the Nation. “Well, it’s something we’ve been planning for a while. We all planned it—me, Whitney (Jones), George MacConnell is part of the Sioux Warriors—he’s from Sisseton area, and then Don Dolezal, he’s from Crow Creek Reservation—Great Sioux nations coming together to put this ride together,” explained Doug Johnson, president of Oglala Drifters.
Many riders arrived in Belle Fourche on the evening of June 24 for an overnight stop. “We get into Belle Fourche today and we’re going to have a meet and greet down at the Mexican restaurant in Belle. Just a bunch of riders going to get together and have a dinner and meet people from all over,” shared Whitney Jones, president of Sicangu Drifters.
The next morning, June 25, all riders met at the Center of the Nation Monument. The roar of iron horses, the modern-day warriors, made their way to Belle Fourche for a gathering of Sioux Nation to join forces for the final ride into Montana. “We want to leave by 10 a.m. because they’re expecting us at the battle site at 2 p.m.,” said Jones. “We are going over to the Battle of Little Bighorn—we’re gonna ride in there. There’s camping and they’re expecting about 100,000 people there.”
Making the trip across South Dakota all the way to Crow Agency, Montana, is a meaningful journey. “I’m from Rosebud, South Dakota. We’re Rosebud Sioux. We started celebrating 150 years ago because they stopped Custer. They stopped Custer on this day 150 years ago. He was one of the most notorious Indian killers, so to stop him from killing women and children is worth celebrating,” explained Jones.
While at the staging area in Belle, they had final plans. “That’s where we’re going to put our tribal flags on so we can go across the state to the battlefield—and we’re gonna do a little prayer and a little bike smudging there,” shared Jones.
With help from the Belle Fourche Police Department, officers stopped traffic, and Police Chief Ryan Cherveny led the group out of town as they began their ride. As the riders pulled out of Belle Fourche, the departure marked the beginning of the final leg of their journey to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn.
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