Wounded Knee Massacre

On December 29th, 1890, 250 and 300 indigenous men, women, and children died at the hands and weapons of the U.S. military. They were not armed, nor did they commit any crime. Why were they killed? Keep reading to learn about their tragic deaths during the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Fig. 1: Wounded Knee, South Dakota.

The Wounded Knee Massacre

Causes

The Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890 took place during a time of westward expansion. Settlers fueled by the idea of manifest destiny attempted to expand onto the land of numerous indigenous tribes. One of these tribes was the Lakota Tribe living near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota.

• The American government used treaties to relocate indigenous tribes. They frequently violated the terms of the treaties they signed. One of these treaties was the Treaty of Fort Laramie.
• The Treaty of Fort Laramie, crafted in 1868, established a 60-million-acre reservation for the Sioux people. The Lakota people, part of the Sioux, signed a treaty with the US federal government to relocate to the reservation.
• They had to commit to staying on the reservation and promise that they would not attack any white settlers. In return, the government promised food rations, education, and other benefits from the federal government.

Fig. 2: Great Sioux Reservation

Life on the Great Sioux Reservation was a significant change. The Lakota people became angry and resentful after being forced to assimilate into a different lifestyle.

Before relocating, the Lakota tribe had been nomadic hunters. On the reservation, they were encouraged to raise animals and cultivate crops. Farming was difficult in the Great Plains, and the Lakota heavily depended on the government. In 1889, the federal government reduced the budget for the Lakota people, reducing food rations.

Fig. 3: Ghost Dance at Pine Ridge-Library of Congress.

Wovoka, an indigenous prophet, dreamed that God told him the indigenous people needed to remain peaceful and perform the traditional circle dance. Practicing the Ghost Dance would cause God to return life to how it was before the white settlers came.

The Ghost Dance quickly became popular among the Lakota in 1889 and 1890. Federal agents worked on the reservations, and not all were comfortable with the intense religious display. Many saw it as a direct threat because it incited violence.

The influx of troops to the region had other consequences. The towns surrounding Pine Ridge were struggling economically and needed the money the troops brought with them. The merchants spread false stories to the media, which intensified worries about the impending war with the Lakota. The Lakota were not impervious to these stories; many could read English and shared the falsified stories with others in the tribe.

Fig. 4: Sitting Bull.

One of the people living on the reservation was Sitting Bull, a powerful chief, and religious leader. He disliked how the federal government treated his people.

He didn't condemn the ghost dance; since he was a tribal leader, the federal government viewed him as someone who helped spread a dangerous practice to their power. Government agents chose to arrest and remove him. While Sitting Bull was peaceful when arrested, many of his people were not. A struggle broke out, resulting in the deaths of Sitting Bull and others.

After the death of Sitting Bull, some Lakota gathered in the Stronghold area while others traveled to Pine Ridge. The camp in Stronghold was planning an attack, while the camp in Pine Ridge was preparing for peaceful negotiations.

Big Foot, the leader of the Miniconjou people, led over 300 of his people to the gathering in Pine Ridge. He had already caught the attention of the federal agents in the area and had been placed on the list of troublemakers. The government was suspicious when he began leading his people to Pine Ridge. A Cavalry detachment was ordered to arrest Big Foot and his followers.

Fig. 5: Big Foot.

Massacre

Big Foot and the Miniconjou people did not make it to Pine Ridge as planned. The cavalry caught up to them near Wounded Knee Creek. Big Foot told the Cavalry scouts that he would surrender peacefully.

Big Foot and the rest of the Miniconjou met with the Cavalry and their leader, Col. James W. Forsyth. Forsyth rounded them up, forced them into a clearing, and made them form a circle. Forsyth asked them to surrender their weapons. The Miniconjou gave up some, but not all. They were promptly searched, which resulted in the troops discovering more weapons.

The search angered the Miniconjou. Sits Straight, a member of the tribe, encouraged other members to begin the Ghost Dance. Remember that the Ghost Dance was seen as a call to war for the Cavalry members. Things escalated quickly after this. In the chaos, there was an incident with a member of the tribe named Black Coyote, and a weapon was discharged.

The Cavalry opened fire on the mostly unarmed Miniconjou. The Cavalry had access to early machine guns, and no one was spared. It is estimated that between 250-300 Miniconjou were killed. Bodies could be found miles away from the site of the massacre.

Aftermath

Over 50 injured Miniconjou were taken to Pine Ridge Agency. Some nearby Lakota fled, while others rallied and ambushed the Cavalry. More troops were sent to Pine Ridge Agency to help keep the peace.

A few days later, a group of Lakota went to Wounded Knee to rescue a handful of abandoned survivors. Around the same time, the army buried over a hundred dead Miniconju in a mass grave. That spot is now known as Cemetery Hill.

Fig. 6: Mass Grave at Wounded Knee 1891.

Wounded Knee Massacre Significance

This was the last armed conflict between the federal government and the Plains Indians.

The Ghost Dance religion phased out, with many resigning themselves that they had to assimilate. The Wounded Knee Massacre demonstrated that the ongoing violence would not stop.

Public perception of the incident changed as historians learned more about what had happened. In 1973 activists with the American Indian Movement brought attention to the massacre as they occupied Wounded Knee.

The United States Congress issued an official apology in 1990.

There are currently calls for the federal government to rescind the Medals of Honor given out to the cavalrymen who participated in the Massacre.

Wounded Knee Massacre Summary

In the late 1800s, while the United States expanded into the west, White settlers began coveting the indigenous people's fertile farmland. They used dubious treaties with indigenous tribes to gain access to the land.

The Treaty of Fort Laramie created a large reservation for the Sioux people. They were asked to make great concessions regarding practicing their religion, speaking their language, and hunting for food in the way they were used to. In return, the Lakota were promised food rations, education, and other benefits from the federal government. The federal government did not hold up its end of the bargain.

The Ghost Dance religious ceremony became prevalent on the reservations to the chagrin of the federal agents who oversaw the people who lived there. To the federal agents, it was a call to violence against them.

Big Foot led his people to Pine Ridge Reservation. A Cavalry detachment was ordered to arrest Big Foot and relocate him and his people to a military prison. Big Foot offered to surrender peacefully when the Cavalry caught up to them. The Miniconjou were led to a clearing, where they were forced to give up their weaponry. A minor scuffle, and the army opened fire on the Miniconjou people. Between 250 and 300 indigenous people were killed.

At first, this was viewed as an intense battle, and the federal army was perceived as the victor. In modern times, it has become viewed as an atrocity and massacre.

Fig. 7: Big Foot's Camp after the Battle of Wounded Knee.