Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark

Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark
Napa · CC BY 2.5 · source
Name	Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark
Location	Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, United States
Coordinates	43.0847°N 102.3391°W
Established	1990 (designated NHL)
Area	~1 acre (site footprint)
Governing body	National Park Service (listing), Oglala Sioux Tribe (local stewardship)

Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark is a federally recognized historic site on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota commemorating the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre where members of the Lakota Sioux were killed during an encounter with the United States Army 7th Cavalry Regiment. The site is associated with leaders and figures such as Chief Big Foot (Spotted Elk), Sitting Bull, and Lieutenant Colonel James W. Forsyth, and has become a focal point for interpretations involving Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), Ghost Dance, and late 19th-century Plains Indian resistance.

History

The landmark traces to events culminating in the December 29, 1890 confrontation between the 7th Cavalry Regiment (United States) and a band of Miniconjou Lakota and Hunkpapa Lakota followers under Big Foot, which followed the death of Sitting Bull during tensions involving the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian agents, and Grand River Agency officials. In the 20th century the site gained attention during the Native American civil rights movement, including the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation led by members of American Indian Movement activists like Russell Means and Dennis Banks who cited historical grievances tied to earlier treaties such as the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851) and land disputes tied to Allotment (Dawes Act). Scholarly work by historians including William S. Laughlin and Theda Perdue contributed to reinterpretations of the 1890 events, while legal and commemorative actions involved institutions like the National Historic Landmarks Program and the National Register of Historic Places.

Description and Boundaries

The landmark encompasses the ground where the 1890 killings occurred near a creek and rolling prairie south of the Badlands National Park boundary. The designated area includes burial sites, a monument erected by organizations such as the American Legion and later markers placed by tribal, federal, and activist groups, and lies within the jurisdictional landscape shaped by the Pine Ridge Reservation and nearby communities such as Wounded Knee, South Dakota and Manderson, South Dakota. Boundary descriptions reference survey work coordinated with agencies including the United States Geological Survey and archival maps held by the National Archives and Records Administration.

Significance and Designation

The landmark was designated for its association with the final phase of U.S.–Lakota armed confrontations following treaties like the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) and policy shifts after the Indian Appropriations Act. It is recognized by the National Park Service and listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its historical value related to figures such as Chief Red Cloud and the social context including the Ghost Dance movement and the expansion of Railroads in the United States onto the Great Plains. The designation reflects interpretations by historians, tribal leaders, and organizations including the Smithsonian Institution and American Historical Association who have debated casualty counts, responsibility, and the broader narrative of late 19th-century U.S.–Native relations.

Historic Events and Interpretations

Interpretations of the 1890 encounter involve contested narratives about whether the incident constituted a battle or massacre, debates informed by primary accounts from soldiers of the 7th Cavalry Regiment (United States), Lakota survivors, journalists associated with papers like the New York Times, and Congressional hearings such as those convened by U.S. Congress. The post-1890 legacy includes Congressional Medal of Honor awards to cavalrymen, later criticized by historians and activists including scholars tied to Native American rights movements and tribal governments. The 1973 occupation by American Indian Movement members reactivated national attention, intersecting with legal cases brought before the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota and prompting congressional inquiries and media coverage by outlets like CBS News and The Washington Post.

Preservation and Management

Preservation efforts have involved the Oglala Sioux Tribe government, the National Park Service, tribal historic preservation officers, and nonprofit organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Association on American Indian Affairs. Management balances protection of burial sites, interpretation for scholars from institutions like Harvard University and University of Minnesota, and compliance with laws including the National Historic Preservation Act and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Archaeological surveys by universities and consultations with tribal elders inform conservation, while controversies over marker placement and land access have invoked agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of the Interior in historical disputes.

Visitor Access and Commemoration

Visitors approach the landmark through roads connected to U.S. Route 18 and local reservation routes; visitor amenities are coordinated by tribal cultural centers and local museums such as the Pine Ridge Reservation Museum and regional institutions like the South Dakota State Historical Society. Annual commemorations draw representatives from tribal nations including the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, along with activists from American Indian Movement chapters and scholars from universities such as University of South Dakota. Interpretive materials cover related subjects including the Massacre at Wounded Knee (1890) reports, the Wounded Knee incident (1973), and broader 19th-century events like the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Category:National Historic Landmarks in South Dakota Category:Native American history of South Dakota Category:Pine Ridge Indian Reservation