A Spiritual Gathering in association with
The Spiritual Unity of Tribes
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Location:
- The 2009 Gathering of Eagles will be held at the Free Spirit Campground. It is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, at the base of Bear Butte, outside the city of Sturgis. Bear Butte, considered a sacred mountain, has been of immense importance to Indian people of all tribes who have traveled there to conduct their ceremonies for thousands of years. The mountain is known as Mato Paha (Bear Mountain) in Lakota or Noahvose to the Cheyenne. It is a great honor for the Gathering of Eagles to be held there this year.
- Directions to Free Spirit: From I-90, take exit 32 into Sturgis. Stay on Junction all the way through town until the stoplight at Lazelle. There is a Phillips 66 gas station there. Turn right and you will head out of Sturgis on Hwy 34 for approximately four miles. One mile past the Kick Start gas and convenience store, turn left onto Hwy 79, where a sign for Bear Butte is posted. Travel on Hwy 79 for five miles from the turnoff. (You will be going past the Bear Butte State Park sign, which is where the entrance to the ceremonial grounds is located.) After the five miles, you will see a Bear Butte Lodge sign, and a road sign reading “Coyote Place.” Turn right. Drive past the Bear Butte Lodge one-eighth mile to the Free Spirit Campground entrance.
Lodging:
- We will feel very pampered at this year’s Gathering, since we will have showers and electrical hookups. In addition, there are 12 (small) air-conditioned cabins to be used for Elders and those who need them. Please contact us by e-mail (shown at the bottom of this page) if you need one of the cabins or have any questions about the amenities.
- If you prefer a motel, a hotel or a B&B, there are many to choose from in the Sturgis area. Call the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce, 605.347.2556 or go to their website at http://www.sturgis-sd.org.
Food and Supplies:
- Each day one meal will be collectively prepared and offered to the entire Gathering in the mid-afternoon. (Food donations are encouraged. Please contact the Kitchen Coordinator at (605) 578-3796 to find out what food items are most needed.) You will need to bring additional food for your family’s breakfast, dinner, and snacks. We would like to limit the vehicular traffic as much as possible, so try to bring all of your supplies with you.
- Bring your own silverware, plates, cups, and bowls for meals. We encourage everyone to bring reusable items since disposables are destructive to the environment and cause unnecessary waste.
- Be sure to bring modest clothing appropriate for ceremonies and be prepared for any kind of weather. It may be very hot in the daytime, is often windy, and can be cold or rainy. Bring sturdy shoes, folding chairs for sitting in the arbor and your campsite, sunscreen, tarps, rain gear, cook stoves, flashlights, etc.
- Alcohol, marijuana and other drugs, and firearms are not allowed at the Free Spirit Campground or the Gatherings. Dogs are not allowed at Bear Butte, and due to the ceremonies being conducted and the group camping, dogs will not be allowed on the Free Spirit grounds. Radios, CD players, tape recorders and cameras should not be used until after the closing ceremony.
Other Information:
- Wednesday, June 24 is “camp day” so that we can get settled in. The opening ceremony will be at sunrise on Thursday, June 25. The Gathering will conclude at the end of the day (dusk) on Sunday, June 28. We encourage everyone to stay over until Monday afternoon, if at all possible. It is always difficult to leave, so please allow yourself plenty of time for your goodbyes and a more leisurely departure.
- The Elders have instructed that the Grandmothers should speak, sharing their wisdom and knowledge with us. We would like to assist as many Elders as possible with their transportation expenses. Please contact us if you are able to help with the "Sponsor an Elder Program."
- The Gatherings are an exercise in community living, and we need everyone’s participation in order to handle the meal preparation, clean-up, fire tending, assisting the Elders, youth activities, and security. Please come prepared to sign up for at least a couple of hours helping in the area of your choice. In addition, please contact us if you can assist in the construction of the arbor before the Gathering begins or additional work projects that may be required.
- If you play a musical instrument, have a drum, etc., please bring it along.
- The nearest airport is Rapid City Regional Airport, one hour away.
- The closest grocery store to the site is Lynn’s Dakotamart on Lazelle Street in Sturgis. Ice and limited groceries are also available at the Kick Start, close to the turnoff from Hwy 34 to Hwy 79.
- If you would like to send a donation(s) to help with our preparations ahead of time, that would be most appreciated. Please send to:
Gathering of Eagles
P.O. Box 3885
Rapid City, SD 57709
For further information contact the Gathering of Eagles at . For further information on Bear Butte State Park, go to http://www.sdgfp.info/Parks/Regions/NorthernHills/BearButte2.htm
