More than two hundred Native Americans, including young and old, died at Wounded Knee in 1890. The bloodshed marked a pivotal moment in the border battles waged by the U. S. military against the tribes.
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The Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes teamed up last year to acquire about 40 acres around Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark in South Dakota to ensure the domain is preserved as a sacred site. The leaders of both tribes testified in the House. bill, which would put federal protections in place on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation lands.
Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out did not promptly respond to a phone call seeking comment on the bill’s passage. In an earlier statement, he said, “We will have to not forget the sacrifices our ancestors suffered for us. “What happened at Wounded Knee reminds us that as Oyate (people), we succumb to opportunities to survive, so we will have to honor our ancestors and preserve the land for generations in the long term.
Members of the American Indian Movement at the memorial to the Wounded Knee massacre on February 27, 2013, in Wounded Knee, South Dakota. (AP Photo/Kristi Eaton, File)
A phone call to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe went unanswered Wednesday. In an earlier statement, Ryman LeBeau, president of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, and Manny and Renee Iron Hawk, descendants of the Wounded Knee survivors, said, “We are very united in commemorating this sacred place, which will be revered as such forever. “
In a speech to the House on Monday, Johnson described his visit to the Wounded Knee site in June, when he visited his descendants, and added an elderly man whose grandmother survived the massacre.
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“These are genuine people. These are genuine places. These are ancient accounts from a remote land,” Johnson said.
The site played a vital role in the struggles of indigenous peoples who opposed the U. S. government. A personal citizen, James Czywczynski, bought the assets in 1968. Su circle of relatives operated a trading post and museum there until 1973, when American Indian Movement protesters occupied the site, destroying Czywczynski’s post and home.
The 71-day standoff that left two tribal members and a federal agent seriously injured raised awareness of Native American struggles and spurred a broader protest movement.