{"id":28966,"date":"2022-10-19T12:59:36","date_gmt":"2022-10-19T16:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=28966"},"modified":"2022-10-19T15:30:15","modified_gmt":"2022-10-19T19:30:15","slug":"business-sued-over-racial-discrimination-against-native-patrons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/10\/19\/business-sued-over-racial-discrimination-against-native-patrons\/","title":{"rendered":"‘We just have to say no to them!!’: Business sued over racial discrimination against Native patrons"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Indians<\/a>
An Indigenous woman raises her fist in the \u201cIndians Allowed\u201d march from Roosevelt Park to the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota, on March 26, 2022. Photo by Willi White for NDN Collective<\/figcaption>\r\n
‘We just have to say no to them!!’<\/div>\r\n
Business in South Dakota sued over racial discrimination against Native patrons<\/div>\r\n
Wednesday, October 19, 2022<\/div>\r\n
By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThis is a developing story. The post will be updated as more information becomes available.<\/em>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nA business in South Dakota that barred Native patrons from renting hotel rooms is being sued by the United States government.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nIn a complaint filed in federal court<\/a> on Wednesday, the Department of Justice<\/a> accused the Grand Gateway Hotel and its owners of engaging in “racially discriminatory policies and practices” against Native people. The lawsuit stems from a widely publicized controversy<\/a> earlier in 2022.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“Defendants Connie Uhre and Nicholas Uhre are responsible for devising, implementing, and instructing employees and agents to carry out the racially discriminatory policies and practices,” the seven-page complaint alleges of the owners of the hotel and an adjoining business known as Cheers Sports Lounge and Casino.\r\n

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Complaint: U.S. v. Retsel Corporation<\/div>\r\n
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16513799923<\/a><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nConnie Uhre, one of the business operators, implemented the policy against Native people<\/a> in March. She said she didn’t want them patronizing the hotel or the lounge, characterizing them as engaging in criminal behavior.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“I really do not want to allow Natives on property,” Uhre said in an e-mail quoted in the complaint.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n “The problem is we do not know the nice ones from the bad natives…so we just have to say no to them!!” she continued.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nUhre followed up with a public post on social media, confirming the discriminatory practice. She blamed her decision on “Natives killing Natives.”\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“We will no long allow any Native Americans on property,” Uhre, who is one of the directors of the Retsel Corporation, the owner and operator of the hotel and lounge, wrote on March 20.\r\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Steve\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSteve Allender (@TheOther98Cents) on X\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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In addition to blaming the mayor, police chief, sheriff, candidate for sheriff and the court system, a local hotel bans all Native Americans for a shooting a few days ago on hotel property. Neither the shooting or Grand Gateway\u2019s response to it reflect our community values.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"X\t\tX (formerly Twitter)\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nOn the following day, a Native resident of Rapid City attempted to rent hotel rooms at the Grand Gateway. According to the complaint, Sunny Red Bear<\/a>, who is Lakota from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe<\/a>, was denied entry<\/a> after an employee said “locals” weren’t allowed on the property.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe employee further attributed the policy to Nicholas Uhre, another owner and operator of the business. Like his mother, Nick is named as a defendant in the lawsuit.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nA day later, on March 22, representatives of NDN Collective<\/a>, where Red Bear is employed as Director of Racial Equity, attempted to rent rooms at the hotel and were again denied<\/a>. This time, Nick showed up and asked if the five Native people were associated with the local organization.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“When they responded that they were, Mr. Uhre demanded that they leave the hotel and then followed them out,” the complaint — which was submitted by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland<\/a>, the leader of the Department of Justice (DOJ) — continues.\r\n

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\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\u2018Indians Allowed\u2019: Sioux Nation rallies against racism and discrimination\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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The people of the Dakota, Lakota and Nakota nations came together to take a stand against racism and discrimination on their homelands.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Indianz.Com\"\t\tIndianz.Com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe actions of Connie and Nicholas Uhre and their business, formally known as the Retsel Corporation, violate Title II of the Civil Rights Act<\/a>, the lawsuit charges. The section of the federal statute, first passed in 1964, prohibits racial discrimination at hotels, restaurants, and other places of public accommodation.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“Policies that prohibit Native Americans from accessing public places are patently offensive, racially discriminatory and have no place in our society today,” \r\nAssistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who heads up DOJ’s Civil Rights Division<\/a>, said \r\nat a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“These defendants have resorted to conduct akin to the kind of policies that were instituted during the Jim Crow era,” Clarke said of Connie and Nicholas Uhre.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“By putting in place a policy that renders Native Americans to second-class citizens, defendants have clearly run afoul of our public accommodations law,” Clarke continued. “Policies flatly prohibiting Native Americans from establishments trample on civil rights laws and defy our nation’s promise of equal treatment under law.”\r\n

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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFederal investigation sought into ban of Native people at hotel\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is calling on the Department of Justice to investigate a business that has banned Native patrons.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Indianz.Com\"\t\tIndianz.Com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\n Alison J. Ramsdell, the U.S. Attorney for South Dakota<\/a>, noted that the Grand Gateway’s policy against Native people carries a large impact in her state, where nine tribal nations are based. American Indians and Alaska Native make up 9 percent of the population in South Dakota, and 10 percent in Rapid City.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“Rapid City is a gateway to the Black Hills,” Ramsdell said, citing the historic and sacred homelands promised to the tribes of the Sioux Nation by treaty.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“It is a destination of choice for many significant tribal gatherings, including the Lakota Nation Invitational and the Black Hills Powwow,” Ramsdell added. \r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe Black Hills Powwow<\/a> took place earlier in October, following a two-year absence due to COVID-19<\/a>. The event drew thousands of dancers, performer and patrons<\/a> to the city.\r\n

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