Sturgis Motorcycle ride for a good cause

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - The Medicine Wheel ride is a motorcycle ride hosted by Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives with the purpose of raising money for their cause and spreading awareness of an issue that they say isn’t talked about enough.

The ride runs from Bear Butte State Park to the Crazy Horse Memorial and one organizer says this location and activity give them a chance to be part of a space they feel they haven’t been included in.

“This is a space that we can reclaim as indigenous women and a space that’s largely male-dominated and dominant culture dominated and it’s a sacred space to many of our peoples and so this was a time for us to come together and start here,” said Prairie Rose Seminole, an organizer with the ride.

She says despite their best planning efforts, they are still surprised by the turnout at each event

“If we got a plan for 50 almost 200 show up if we plan for 100 almost 300 showed up so it’s just been incredible and to see the support here on this issue has just been heartwarming,” said Seminole.

For one organizer, this is very personal, she has relatives that went missing and says this ride has given her time to reflect on the loved ones she lost.

“The first year I Rode here I shed a couple tears riding through the Black Hills cause all I could think about was their hardships and struggles they probably were experiencing at that time when they were kidnapped and murdered so it’s really emotional... it’s an emotional ride for me,” said Lynette Kills Back, another organizer of the ride.

For those that didn’t catch it this year, The Medicine Wheel Ride will be back in South Dakota around this time next year.

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