The 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre: A Tragic Climax to Centuries of Colonial Conflict
In short: On December 29, 1890, a disarmament attempt at Wounded Knee Creek spiraled into a massacre that killed hundreds of Lakota people. Often cited as the end of the Indian Wars, this event was fueled by systemic land seizure, the destruction of bison herds, and fear of the spiritual Ghost Dance movement.
The massacre occurred near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Tensions had been mounting as the U.S. government seized Lakota lands and failed to uphold treaty promises, while the near-extinction of bison herds devastated the Lakota way of life. In response, many turned to the Ghost Dance, a religious movement founded by the Paiute prophet Wovoka, which promised the return of ancestors and the restoration of pre-colonial life. By 1890, nearly one-third of the Lakota had adopted the faith, which settlers and officials mistakenly viewed as a prelude to an armed uprising.
On the morning of December 29, 1890, the U.S. 7th Cavalry, commanded by Colonel James W. Forsyth, surrounded the camp of Spotted Elk’s band. As troops attempted to disarm the Lakota, a struggle involving a deaf man named Black Coyote and his rifle triggered indiscriminate firing. While Lakota warriors attempted to defend themselves, many were already disarmed. Soldiers used Hotchkiss mountain guns against the camp, killing men, women, and children. Estimates suggest between 250 and 300 Lakota died, while 25 U.S. soldiers were killed. Survivors were later taken to the Pine Ridge Reservation, and the dead were buried in a mass grave following a blizzard.
The aftermath saw the U.S. Army award 19 Medals of Honor for the event, a decision later condemned by the National Congress of American Indians. General Nelson A. Miles, who had criticized Forsyth’s tactical decisions, failed to secure a formal court-martial, and Forsyth was eventually promoted. In 1990, the U.S. Congress formally expressed 'deep regret' for the massacre. The site later became a symbol of resistance, notably during the 1973 Wounded Knee incident, and in 2022, the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes purchased the 40-acre site to reclaim control over the land where their ancestors perished.
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