Uhre’s statements have caused within our Native American community. Part of the consent decree called for the owners of the properties to release a letter of apology to the media: Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the actions were “reminiscent of a long history of prejudice and exclusion Native American communities have faced.”Īssistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the defendants’ conduct was “egregious, motivated by naked animus, and amounted to an outright ban on Native American customers seeking access to a public establishment.” In November the Justice Department entered into a consent decree with the owners and operators of the Grand Gateway Hotel and Cheers Sports Lounge and Casino. Her racist comments led to protests by Native Americans at the establishment and an investigation by the U.S. She also wrote that she 'can’t tell who is a bad Native or a good Native.” Connie Uhre wrote a comment on Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender’s Facebook page: “Do to the killing that took place at the Grand Gateway Hotel on Maat 4 am, plus all the vandalism we have had since the Mayor and Police Department are working with the non-profit organization (Dark Money), we will no longer allow Native Americans on property, including Cheers.”
