Hotel owner calls for ban on Native Americans from property

Following a series of racist comments from a Rapid City business owner, indigenous activists have organized a march in protest, scheduled for this afternoon.

The NDN Collective, the American Indian Movement, and the Cheyenne River Grassroots Collective have organized today’s protest. It’s is expected NDN Collective will file a federal civil rights class action lawsuit against the business.

The now-deleted comments, posted on Facebook by Grand Gateway Hotel and Cheers Bar owner Connie Uhre, said following a March 19th shooting the business would no longer “allow any Native American on the property.” In an email, Uhre also said she does “not want to allow natives on property”, and added “The problem is we do not know the nice ones from the bad natives.”

Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender called the comments unlawful and hateful.

 

March 23, 2022