Wounded Knee incident

Wounded Knee incident. The Wounded Knee incident was a pivotal event in American history, involving the United States Army's 7th Cavalry Regiment and the Lakota Sioux tribe, specifically the Miniconjou and Hunkpapa bands, led by notable figures such as Big Foot and Sitting Bull. This incident occurred near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota, and it is closely tied to the Ghost Dance movement, which was influenced by Wovoka and Kicking Bear. The Wounded Knee incident is often regarded as a culmination of the Indian Wars and a significant event in the history of Native American relations with the United States government, involving key figures like President Benjamin Harrison and General Nelson A. Miles.

● Introduction

The Wounded Knee incident is a significant event in American history, marked by the clash between the United States Army and the Lakota Sioux tribe, with notable leaders such as Red Cloud and Crazy Horse playing important roles in the preceding years. The incident is closely linked to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 and the Dawes Act of 1887, which aimed to assimilate Native Americans into American society, as advocated by Helen Hunt Jackson and Thomas Henry Tibbles. The Wounded Knee incident is also connected to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where many Lakota Sioux people lived, under the leadership of Chief Gall and Chief Rain-in-the-Face. Key figures like Buffalo Bill Cody and Geronimo were also influential in the period leading up to the incident.

● Background

The background to the Wounded Knee incident involves the Ghost Dance movement, which was a Native American spiritual movement that aimed to restore the Native American way of life, as promoted by Wovoka and Kicking Bear. The movement was influenced by the Paiute tribe and spread to other tribes, including the Lakota Sioux, with notable adherents like Sitting Bull and Big Foot. The United States government viewed the Ghost Dance as a threat to their authority, and they attempted to suppress it, leading to tensions between the United States Army and the Lakota Sioux tribe, as documented by Richard Henry Pratt and Francis Marion Crawford. The Wounded Knee Massacre was preceded by the Battle of Little Bighorn and the Battle of Slim Buttes, which were significant events in the Indian Wars, involving notable figures like George Armstrong Custer and Sitting Bull.

● The Incident

The Wounded Knee incident occurred on December 29, 1890, when the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army confronted a group of Lakota Sioux people, led by Big Foot, near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. The incident began when the United States Army attempted to disarm the Lakota Sioux people, leading to a confrontation that resulted in the deaths of over 150 Lakota Sioux people, including women and children, as reported by Deborah Parker and Charles Eastman. The incident was widely condemned, and it led to a significant shift in United States government policy towards Native Americans, with key figures like President Grover Cleveland and Commissioner of Indian Affairs Thomas Jefferson Morgan playing important roles in the aftermath.

● Aftermath

The aftermath of the Wounded Knee incident saw a significant increase in tensions between the United States government and Native American tribes, with notable events like the Dawes Act and the Burke Act aiming to assimilate Native Americans into American society, as advocated by Dwight D. Eisenhower and John Collier. The incident also led to the establishment of the Indian Rights Association and the National Congress of American Indians, which aimed to promote Native American rights and interests, with key figures like Helen Hunt Jackson and Charles Curtis playing important roles. The Wounded Knee incident is also closely tied to the Trail of Tears and the Long Walk of the Navajo, which were significant events in Native American history, involving notable figures like Andrew Jackson and Kit Carson.

● Legacy

The legacy of the Wounded Knee incident is complex and multifaceted, with many regarding it as a symbol of the United States government's treatment of Native Americans, as documented by Vine Deloria Jr. and Ward Churchill. The incident has been commemorated in various ways, including the establishment of the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and the National Museum of the American Indian, which aims to promote Native American culture and history, with key figures like Kevin Gover and Richard West Jr. playing important roles. The Wounded Knee incident has also been the subject of numerous books, films, and artworks, including Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and Little Big Man, which have helped to raise awareness about the incident and its significance, as noted by Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky.

● Historical Significance

The historical significance of the Wounded Knee incident is profound, marking the end of the Indian Wars and the beginning of a new era in Native American relations with the United States government, as noted by Francis Paul Prucha and Robert M. Utley. The incident is closely tied to the American West and the Frontier Thesis, which was developed by Frederick Jackson Turner, and it has been the subject of numerous historical studies and interpretations, including those by Richard White and Patricia Nelson Limerick. The Wounded Knee incident is also an important part of American history, serving as a reminder of the complex and often fraught relationship between the United States government and Native American tribes, as documented by N. Scott Momaday and Leslie Marmon Silko.

Category:Native American history