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On Friday, President Trump will travel to South Dakota for his Fourth of July event at Mount Rushmore. The event, which will draw thousands to the area, will not require attendees to wear masks and has been strongly opposed by tribes. On Monday, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem declared that social distancing will not be enforced at the event, and although masks will be available attendees will not be required to wear them.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionally impacted tribal nations, and bringing large crowds to a concentrated area will significantly increase the risk for residents of the Black Hills. Julian Bear Runner, Oglala Sioux president, stated, “Trump coming here is a safety concern not just for my people inside and outside the reservation, but for people in the Great Plains. We have such limited resources in Black Hills, and we’re already seeing infections rising.” Trump's disregard for tribes is compounded by the fact that Mount Rushmore is part of the land belonging to the Sioux according to a 1868 treaty, but was subsequently taken by the U.S. government after gold was found in the area, a move ruled as illegal in 1980. Harold Frazier, chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, said, "Nothing stands as a greater reminder to the Great Sioux Nation of a country that cannot keep a promise or treaty than the faces carved into our sacred land."
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In Pendley, Trump has a nominee with a record of opposing public land ownership by the federal government, ironic since the BLM manages some 247 million-plus acres of federal land. That includes stewardship of 30 percent of the nation’s minerals.”
