Wounded Knee
The Tragedy at Wounded Knee: Historical Context
The tragic events at Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890, represent one of the darkest chapters in American history. This devastating massacre saw the slaughter of hundreds of Lakota Sioux men, women, and children at the hands of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment. Wounded Knee stands as a painful symbol of the culmination of decades of conflict between Native Americans and white settlers pushing westward across the continent. The massacre occurred during a period when Native American populations had already been decimated by forced relocations, disease, and military campaigns.
The December 1890 events at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota took place during a time of profound desperation for the Sioux people. By 1890, the once-mighty Sioux nation had been confined to reservations, their traditional way of life systematically destroyed, and their population dramatically reduced. The Battle of Wounded Knee 1890 wasn’t really a battle at all, but rather a one-sided massacre that would mark the symbolic end of Native American armed resistance to U.S. westward expansion.
Ghost Dance Movement: Seeds of the Conflict
Wovoka’s Vision and the Rise of a Spiritual Movement
The roots of the tragedy at Wounded Knee can be traced to the emergence of the Ghost Dance spiritual movement. During a solar eclipse on January 1, 1889, a Northern Paiute spiritual leader named Wovoka (also known as Jack Wilson) experienced a powerful vision. In this mystical encounter, Wovoka claimed to have received divine messages predicting the restoration of Native lands, the resurrection of deceased ancestors, and the disappearance of white settlers.
The Ghost Dance quickly spread among various tribes across the western United States. For Native peoples facing existential threats to their cultures and lives, Wovoka’s teachings offered hope in a time of profound despair. The dance itself involved participants moving in circles while chanting prayers and songs, often continuing until they fell into trances where they claimed to communicate with deceased relatives and experience visions of a restored Native world.
Sioux Adoption and White Fears
When the Ghost Dance reached the Sioux reservations in 1890, it was adapted to their specific cultural context and quickly gained followers. Many Sioux leaders, including the influential Sitting Bull, embraced aspects of the movement, seeing it as a way to revitalize their people’s spirits during a time of immense hardship. The Sioux incorporated unique elements into their practice, including the belief in “ghost shirts” – garments they believed could repel bullets and protect dancers from harm.
White authorities and settlers viewed the spread of the Ghost Dance with increasing alarm. Government agents, military officers, and nearby settlers misinterpreted the peaceful spiritual movement as preparation for armed uprising. Their fears were fueled by fundamental misunderstandings of Native spirituality and longstanding prejudices. By late 1890, tensions had reached dangerous levels, with newspapers publishing sensationalist accounts of “Indian unrest” and calling for military intervention.
The Path to the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre
The Death of Sitting Bull
On December 15, 1890, just two weeks before the Wounded Knee massacre, tensions escalated dramatically with the killing of the renowned Sioux leader Sitting Bull. Authorities had grown increasingly concerned about Sitting Bull’s influence and his perceived support for the Ghost Dance movement. When Indian agency police attempted to arrest him at his cabin on the Standing Rock Reservation, a struggle ensued. In the resulting chaos, Sitting Bull and several others, including police officers, were killed.
The death of such a prominent leader sent shockwaves through the Sioux community and intensified the atmosphere of fear and suspicion between Native Americans and government forces. Many of Sitting Bull’s followers, fearing further violence, fled the reservation to join other bands.
Big Foot’s Band and Military Pursuit
Following Sitting Bull’s death, Chief Big Foot (Spotted Elk) led approximately 350 Lakota Sioux away from the Cheyenne River Reservation, hoping to find refuge with Chief Red Cloud at the Pine Ridge Reservation. Big Foot himself was gravely ill with pneumonia during this winter journey. The group consisted primarily of women and children, with only about 100 men of fighting age.
The U.S. military had categorized Big Foot as a “fomenter of disturbance” despite his actual reputation as a man of peace. The 7th Cavalry Regiment, under the command of Colonel James W. Forsyth, was dispatched to intercept Big Foot’s band. On December 28, 1890, the cavalry located the traveling Lakota near Porcupine Butte and escorted them to Wounded Knee Creek, where they established camp.
The Wounded Knee Massacre: December 29, 1890
Morning Tensions and Disarmament Attempt
On the morning of December 29, 1890, Colonel Forsyth ordered the Lakota to surrender their weapons. The atmosphere at Wounded Knee Creek was already tense, with the Lakota surrounded by approximately 500 soldiers and several Hotchkiss mountain guns positioned on nearby hills. These powerful weapons could fire explosive shells at a rate of nearly 50 rounds per minute.
When the soldiers began searching the Lakota camp, conflicts in communication and cultural misunderstandings led to escalating tensions. A deaf tribesman named Black Coyote was reluctant to give up his rifle, which he had reportedly purchased at considerable cost. During the struggle over this weapon, a shot was fired – though historical accounts differ on who fired first.
The Brutal Massacre
What followed was catastrophic. The 7th Cavalry opened fire indiscriminately on the largely unarmed Lakota. The Hotchkiss guns bombarded the camp, killing men, women, and children alike, many of whom were attempting to flee. In the chaos, some cavalry soldiers were likely hit by friendly fire from their own comrades.
The official death toll listed 25 U.S. soldiers and approximately 150 Lakota killed, but Native American accounts and subsequent historical research suggest the actual number of Native casualties was much higher – likely between 250 and 300. Many of the victims were women and children who were shot while trying to escape. Some bodies were found nearly three miles from the original camp, indicating they were pursued and killed while fleeing.
Aftermath and Burial
A severe blizzard hit the area shortly after the massacre. Three days later, a burial party arrived to collect the frozen bodies. The dead Lakota were buried in a mass grave at Wounded Knee. The site of this grave is now marked by a monument and remains a place of profound historical and spiritual significance.
Twenty U.S. soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions at Wounded Knee – awards that remain controversial to this day, with various organizations and individuals calling for their rescission.
Historical Significance and Legacy
End of an Era
The massacre at Wounded Knee is widely considered to mark the symbolic end of Native American armed resistance to U.S. expansion and the closing of the American frontier. Historian L.G. Moses described it as “the symbolic end of Indian freedom.” After the tragedy at Wounded Knee, the remaining Native American tribes were forced to submit to life on reservations under strict government control.
The 1890 Wounded Knee massacre represented the culmination of the U.S. government’s policies of forced relocation and cultural assimilation. The Battle of Wounded Knee 1890, despite its name, was not a battle but a one-sided attack that demonstrated the devastating consequences of these policies and the profound cultural misunderstandings that characterized U.S.-Native relations.
Cultural Impact and Remembrance
The events at Wounded Knee have left an indelible mark on American culture and history. Dee Brown’s influential 1970 book “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” brought renewed attention to the massacre and other atrocities committed against Native Americans. The title itself has become a powerful phrase in American discourse about historical injustice.
In 1973, Wounded Knee again became a focal point for Native American activism when members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) occupied the site for 71 days to protest conditions on reservations and the U.S. government’s failure to honor treaties. This occupation brought national attention to ongoing Native American struggles and became a defining moment in the modern indigenous rights movement.
Historical Interpretation and Reconciliation
Changing Historical Perspectives
For decades after the massacre, official accounts largely justified the military’s actions at Wounded Knee as necessary to suppress a potential uprising. Government reports characterized the events as the “Battle of Wounded Knee” rather than a massacre. However, historical scholarship and Native accounts have decisively shifted this interpretation.
Modern historians widely recognize the events at Wounded Knee as a massacre of largely unarmed people and a tragic example of the U.S. government’s destructive policies toward indigenous peoples. This shift in historical understanding represents a broader reassessment of American westward expansion and its impact on Native populations.
Steps Toward Reconciliation
In recent decades, there have been various efforts toward acknowledgment and reconciliation regarding the Wounded Knee massacre. In 1990, on the 100th anniversary of the tragedy, Congress formally expressed “deep regret” for the massacre. However, calls for a formal apology from the U.S. government and the rescinding of the Medals of Honor awarded to participants continue.
The site of the massacre was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965, and it remains a place of pilgrimage, reflection, and ceremony for many Native Americans. Annual memorial rides and ceremonies honor those who lost their lives in the tragedy at Wounded Knee.
Contemporary Relevance
Ongoing Struggles and Resilience
The legacy of Wounded Knee continues to resonate in contemporary Native American communities and their ongoing struggles for sovereignty, cultural preservation, and social justice. Issues such as land rights, resource exploitation, and cultural appropriation are directly connected to the historical trauma symbolized by the 1890 massacre.
Despite the devastating impact of events like Wounded Knee, Native American cultures have demonstrated remarkable resilience. The Lakota and other Sioux tribes continue to maintain their cultural identities, languages, and traditions while advocating for their rights and recognition in modern America.
Commemoration Dates
Annual commemorations of the Wounded Knee massacre take place on December 29. In coming years, these important remembrances will fall on:
- Monday, December 29, 2025
- Tuesday, December 29, 2026
- Wednesday, December 29, 2027
- Friday, December 29, 2028
- Saturday, December 29, 2029
Educational Importance
Understanding the tragedy of Wounded Knee is essential for a complete and honest reckoning with American history. The events of December 29, 1890, illuminate broader patterns of colonial expansion, cultural conflict, and the devastating impacts of government policies on indigenous populations.
Modern educational approaches increasingly incorporate Native perspectives on historical events like Wounded Knee, moving beyond the simplistic narratives that dominated textbooks for generations. This more nuanced understanding helps students comprehend the complex historical forces that shaped American development and continue to influence contemporary society.
For more detailed information about the Ghost Dance movement and the events at Wounded Knee, you can visit Wounded Knee at Khan Academy.
The tragedy at Wounded Knee represents one of the most painful chapters in American history – a moment when misunderstanding, fear, and prejudice resulted in the needless deaths of hundreds of Native Americans. As a symbolic endpoint to centuries of armed conflict between indigenous peoples and European settlers, the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre stands as a somber reminder of the human cost of America’s westward expansion.
The legacy of this event continues to shape Native American communities and American society more broadly. By remembering and honestly confronting the truths of Wounded Knee, we contribute to a more complete understanding of our shared history and potentially open pathways toward healing and reconciliation. The story of Wounded Knee is not merely historical – it remains vitally relevant to ongoing conversations about justice, cultural respect, and the rights of indigenous peoples in America and around the world.
