SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The owner of a hotel in South Dakota has been found liable for discrimination against Native Americans, in a ruling that highlights ongoing racial tensions in the region.
A federal jury determined that Connie Uhre, the owner of the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City, will owe damages in the wake of a class-action civil rights lawsuit filed by the NDN Collective, an indigenous advocacy group. The jury awarded just $1 to the group, symbolizing a stand against the discriminatory actions that prompted the lawsuit.
The lawsuit stemmed from Uhre's social media post in March 2022 where she publicly declared a ban on Native Americans from the hotel after a tragic shooting incident involving two individuals identified as Native American. Uhre's statement drew widespread condemnation, leading to protests in Rapid City and even comments from the mayor against such actions.
NDN Collective President Wizipan Garriott, who is also a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, emphasized that the lawsuit was not motivated by financial gain but rather aimed at documenting the discrimination faced by Native Americans. “This was never about money. We sued for one dollar. It was about being on record for the discrimination that happened, and using this as an opportunity to really call out racism,” Garriott stated.
In addition to the jury's ruling on the original case, they also found the NDN Collective acted as a nuisance during their protests, awarding $812 to the hotel as part of a countersuit claimed by Retsel Corporation, the hotel's owner. This dual ruling illustrates the complexities and challenges involved in addressing discrimination while navigating community activism.
The hotel’s reputation has been further marred by a consent decree established with the U.S. Justice Department in November 2023, requiring Uhre to publicly apologize for her actions and imposing a four-year ban on her management of the establishment.
As a significant portion of Rapid City's 80,000 residents identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, the ruling draws attention not only to individual acts of discrimination but also to broader systemic issues affecting indigenous communities in the region.
