Wounded Knee Massacre

Long ago, life was very hard for the Lakota people.

They were losing their land. The buffalo they needed for food were almost gone.

Many Lakota people began a new dance. They hoped it would bring peace and bring back the buffalo.

Soldiers came to the Lakota camp. They wanted to take away their guns. During this time, a loud noise happened.

This led to a very sad fight. Many Lakota people were killed by the soldiers. This event happened at Wounded Knee Creek. It was a very hard time in history. We remember this day to honor the people.

In the late 1800s, life was very hard for the Lakota people. The U.S. government took much of their land. Also, the buffalo herds were almost gone. This made it hard for them to find food.

Many Lakota people began the Ghost Dance. They hoped this dance would bring back the buffalo and their old way of life.

Some settlers were worried about the dance. They thought it might lead to a war. In December 1890, U.S. soldiers went to a Lakota camp. They wanted to take away the Lakota guns.

During this time, a man named Black Coyote was slow to give up his rifle. His gun went off by accident. This led to a very sad fight. Many Lakota people were killed by the soldiers. Between 250 and 300 Lakota people died.

Many soldiers were also killed or hurt. In 1990, the U.S. Congress said they felt deep regret for this event.

The Wounded Knee Massacre was a very sad event in American history. It happened on December 29, 1890, in South Dakota. The event took place near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

It occurred during a time of great change and hardship for the Lakota people. Many Lakota people were struggling because their lands were being taken. The large buffalo herds they relied on for food were also nearly gone. This made life very difficult and uncertain for many families.

In the years before the massacre, a new religious movement began. It was called the Ghost Dance, and it was started by a prophet named Wovoka.

The Lakota people believed this dance would bring back their old way of life. They hoped the buffalo would return and their ancestors would come back to Earth.

However, many white settlers were worried about the dance. They feared the Ghost Dance meant the Lakota were planning an attack. This fear led the U.S. government to send soldiers to the reservations.

The trouble grew when the U.S. government tried to take Lakota leaders into custody. On December 15, 1890, the famous leader Sitting Bull was arrested. During the struggle, Sitting Bull was shot and died.

After he died, many Lakota people fled to join Chief Spotted Elk. Spotted Elk led his group toward the Pine Ridge Reservation to find safety. They were traveling through the cold winter when the military stopped them.

On the morning of December 29, soldiers tried to disarm the Lakota camp. A man named Black Coyote was slow to give up his rifle. His gun went off, and then a fight broke out.

The soldiers used large guns called Hotchkiss guns to fire on the camp.

Between 250 and 300 Lakota people were killed in the attack. Many of those killed were women and children. Twenty-five U.S. soldiers also died during the event.

Today, people look back at Wounded Knee to understand this difficult part of history. The site is now a National Historic Landmark.

In 1990, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution to express "deep regret" for what happened.

Some people still argue about the medals given to soldiers who were there. The National Congress of American Indians has asked the government to take those medals back. This event remains a very important part of how people remember the history of the Great Plains.

The Wounded Knee Massacre was a violent conflict between the United States Army and the Lakota people. It occurred on December 29, 1890, near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. This location was part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The event was part of a larger military operation known as the Pine Ridge Campaign. It is remembered as a tragic moment in the history of the Great Plains.

To understand why this happened, we must look at the conditions on the reservations. For years, the U.S. government had been seizing Lakota lands. This happened despite treaty promises meant to protect their territory from settlers and gold miners. Additionally, the massive bison herds were hunted to near-extinction. Since the bison were a staple of life for Plains Indians, their loss caused great instability. Many Lakota people faced starvation and had to rely on government rations.

During this difficult time, a new religious movement called the Ghost Dance spread. It was founded by a Paiute prophet named Wovoka. Wovoka had a vision that the Christian Messiah had returned to Earth as a Native American. The Ghost Dance was not a traditional Christian faith. It incorporated elements of Lakota faith and rituals like the Sun Dance. Followers believed that performing a slow, solemn dance to a single drumbeat would restore their way of life. They hoped the buffalo would return and their ancestors would walk the Earth again.

However, the Ghost Dance caused great anxiety among white settlers and officials. Some settlers called the movement the "Messiah War." They feared the dance was a sign of a dangerous Sioux resurgence. Missionaries also wanted to repress the movement to "modernize" the indigenous population. This tension led the U.S. government to take action. They decided to take several Lakota chiefs into custody to stop the movement.

On December 15, 1890, an attempt to arrest the famous leader Sitting Bull turned deadly. Indian police arrived at his home at the Standing Rock Agency. When Sitting Bull refused to comply, force was used. During the struggle, a Lakota man named Catch-the-Bear shot a lieutenant. In response, Sitting Bull was shot and died. Following his death, about 200 members of his Hunkpapa band fled to join Chief Spotted Elk. Spotted Elk, also known as Big Foot, led his Miniconjou Lakota toward the Pine Ridge Reservation.

The massacre began during a botched attempt to disarm Spotted Elk's camp. On the morning of December 29, a detachment of the 7th Cavalry Regiment approached the Lakota. They were led by Major Samuel M. Whitside. The rest of the regiment, led by Colonel James W. Forsyth, surrounded the camp. The soldiers were supported by a battery of four Hotchkiss mountain guns. These were rapid-fire weapons used to attack the camp.

During the disarming process, a conflict broke out involving a deaf tribesman named Black Coyote. He was reluctant to give up his rifle because he had paid a high price for it. When his rifle went off, the situation escalated quickly. Some Lakota men threw aside blankets and fired at the soldiers. The military responded with indiscriminate firing. The soldiers used the Hotchkiss guns to fire upon the Lakota.

The loss of life was devastating. Between 250 and 300 Lakota people were killed. This group included 4 men and 47 women and children, some of whom died later from wounds. The U.S. soldiers also suffered losses, with 25 soldiers killed and 39 wounded. Nineteen soldiers received the Medal of Honor specifically for their actions at Wounded Knee.

Today, the Wounded Knee Battlefield is a National Historic Landmark. In 1990, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution expressing "deep regret" for the massacre. There is also ongoing debate regarding the military awards given at the site. In 2001, the National Congress of American Indians called for the federal government to rescind those medals. The event remains a central part of how the history of the Lakota and the United States is understood.