Wounded Knee (1890 and 1973)

Historical Events

Initially, the U.S. government described the 1890 event as “the Battle of Wounded Knee,” but after reviewing the actions of the Seventh Cavalry and with dissent in its own ranks, the federal government reclassified the event “the Massacre at Wounded Knee.” An agent of the reservation, who was purportedly minimally qualified for the position, requested army assistance in quelling what he called a “disturbance.” This disturbance was triggered when Sioux Chief Big Foot led his band of followers to Wounded Knee creek, where his followers could perform a ritual “Ghost Dance.” This dance was brought to the Sioux through a Paiute spiritual leader, Wovoca, who claimed to have had a vision suggesting that if they [Page 1416]danced in intervals, for 5 consecutive days each time, they would secure their happiness. This dance was to restore to the Indian people their hunting grounds, their ancestral possessions, and all the game and wildlife that had formerly existed therein. The Seventh Cavalry responded, under orders from Washington, D.C., to arrest Chief Big Foot.

The Sioux offered no resistance and were ordered to set up camp; Army guards proceeded to position four Hotchkiss guns (cannons) surrounding the camp. The following morning, the soldiers demanded that the Sioux relinquish their firearms. When soldiers attempted to disarm a deaf Indian, Black Coyote, a scuffle ensued, and the firearm discharged. Following the initial discharge, Army troops opened fire with the Hotchkiss guns, killing ninety warriors and approximately 200 women and children.

The Wounded Knee Massacre symbolized the culmination of a clash of cultures, failed governmental Indian policies, and an end to the American frontier. It further emphasized the power of the U.S. government over Native American religious practices by extinguishing the Ghost Dance, which was meant to revitalize the Sioux/Lacotah people The second “incident” at Wounded Knee, in 1973, grew out of what many American Indians viewed as the continual oppressive nature of failed federal government policies toward their people. The Civil Rights Movement was strong at the time, and the country was experiencing national political turmoil as a result of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Domestic unrest resulting from racial and ethnic tensions spurred the creation and implementation among American Indians of a radical activism analogous to Black civil rights confrontations. The Civil Rights Movement created a higher level of social consciousness among American Indians, from both rural and urban areas around the country, which led to the creation of the American Indian Movement (AIM). Its primary objective was to advance the perspective that treaties between the federal government and Indian tribes should be adhered to and enforced between both parties.

Civil unrest within the Oglala Lacotah tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation, in South Dakota, stemmed from a conflict between traditionalists and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) supporters. Traditionalists met with AIM members and, on February 27, 1973, took over the town of Wounded Knee. The Wounded Knee occupation stemmed from high unemployment rates, failed Indian policies, and corrupt tribal government. This occupation lasted 71 days, with daily heavy gunfire between both sides. The result was the death of two AIM members killed by this gunfire and two federal agents seriously injured. In addition, twelve individuals went missing while attempting to bring much-needed supplies to Wounded Knee. Over the course of the next 3 years, hundreds of arrests were made, resulting in only fifteen convictions for minor crimes associated with the Wounded Knee incident.

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