In 1890, the U.S. Cavalry’s 7th Regiment was tasked with disarming a group of Sioux in South Dakota. One of the members had a new rifle he was not inclined to give up. As soldiers attempted to take the rifle from him, a shot was fired prompting the cavalry to open fire and a firefight ensued.
Some Sioux fled but the cavalry then chased them down and killed every remaining Lakota.
A mass grave was dug at the site for the casualties.
In February, 1973, 200 members of the Sioux tribe occupied Wounded Knee to demonstrate against tribal president Richard Wilson, whom they accused of corruption, choosing the site for its symbolic value. U.S. Marshals, the FBI and other law enforcement surrounded the protest, leading to a standoff that lasted 71 days.
Now the Oglala Sioux Tribe wants to build a convenience store at the site. The store would be by the cemetery where the victims of the 1890 massacre are buried.
Some tribal members oppose the controversial construction. Cheyenne River Historic Preservation Officer Steve Vance says that, since many of the victims were Cheyenne River Sioux, the decision should be made by all seven bands of the Sioux Nation.
There may be unexplored archeological areas close to the proposed construction site, something that concerns members of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
“That valley is so rich with history,” Russel Eagle Bear, historic preservation officer for the Rosebud Sioux, told the Rapid City Journal. “We have relatives that were part of the Wounded Knee Massacre, so we do have an interest also.”
Tribal leaders have also expressed concern that an environmental impact assessment has not been carried out.
The controversial proposal was not a topic of conversation for President Obama at the White House’s Tribal Nations Conference Wednesday, since Wounded Knee sits on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation making it an internal tribal matter. The conference focused instead on tribal education reform and climate change.
