Wounded Knee Massacre

The Battle of Wounded Knee, or Wounded Knee Massacre was the final armed battle between the Great Sioux Nation and the U.S. in the series of the Indian Wars. The incident occurred on December 29, 1890 when over 300 troops surrounded a settlement of Miniconjou and Hunkpapa Sioux at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. The Sioux and the Americans had made an agreement that they would escort the Sioux to the railroad for transportation to a new settlement in Omaha, Nebraska. The surrounding American troops (7th Cavalry) had these orders, but first intended to disarm all natives and ensure their obedience and understanding of the agreement. The real conflict started with a simple misunderstanding. A deaf tribe member who went by the name of Black Coyote didn’t hear the order to give up his rifle, so he was hesitant to give up his weapon. This disagreement escalated into a full-out battle, and soon both sides were firing. The tribe members who still had weapons open fired on the 7th Cavalry, while the troops open fired on the entire tribe, armed or unarmed. The disturbing part is that many of the Sioux tribe members fled and were unarmed, but still pursued and killed by the U.S. troops. The damage was atrocious. Approximately 150 men, women, and children from this tribe had been shot and killed. Only 25 members of the 7th Cavalry had been killed, many from friendly fire in the chaotic battle conditions. About 150 Lakota were said to have fled the scene, but most died from hypothermia. Pictures were taken as the Lakota were put in mass graves and buried.