A bill turning the Wounded Knee Massacre site into a memorial and exempting it from local and state taxes was unanimously advanced Tuesday by the U-S House Natural Resources Committee.
South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson says “Our nation has an imperfect past, and it is important to remember and honor those lives lost” in December 1890 when hundreds of Lakota, mostly women and children, were killed by the U-S Army.”
Johnson says “The Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act is an important step to honoring the memories of those lost and ensuring future generations do not forget,” adding that commemorating them is “a somber yet important duty.”
The Oglala and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes last year purchased 40 acres of privately-owned land near the Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark with the Dept of Interior taking the land into trust for both tribes with the title in the Oglala Sioux name.
Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Ryman LeBeau testified for Johnson’s bill last week before the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian Affairs
Both said it will ensure that the Wounded Knee Massacre site will forever remain protected as hallowed ground for the Oceti Sakowin.