On December 28, 1890, the U.S. Army intercepted the band of Miniconjou Lakota, mainly women and children, on their way to Pine Ridge Reservation. As the military called together the Sioux men to confiscate their weapons, soldiers began indiscriminately shooting. They killed the mostly unarmed Native men, as well as the women and children who were in a separate section of camp and began fleeing the site. The total death toll may be as high as 300, with women and children making up over-two thirds of the dead. Despite this brutality, U.S. soldiers were awarded approximately 20 individual Medals of Honor.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has helped to lead the effort to rescind these medals during her time in Congress and the Administration. She issued the following statement today, following the Department of Defense’s announcement that Secretary Austin has ordered a review of the Medals of Honor awarded for the massacre at Wounded Knee Creek.
“I am grateful that Secretary Austin is moving forward with a review of the medals awarded to members of the U.S. Army for the Wounded Knee Massacre. The Department of the Interior will actively participate in this process.
“The significance of the Wounded Knee Massacre and the historical record put these Medals of Honor in a class of their own: medals that glorify violent actions against unarmed, surrendering people—actions for which Congress itself has felt compelled to officially apologize. I believe that allowing the nation’s highest military honor, awarded for valor and distinguished conduct in combat, to continue to rest with the legacies of 20 soldiers who participated in this shameful massacre devalues and degrades the Medal of Honor while causing ongoing harm to Native people. That’s why now is the time for a meaningful step to ‘remove the stain’ of these medals.”
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland
Background:
Proposals to revoke these medals have been supported in Congress—where a bipartisan, bicameral coalition has sponsored legislation known as the “Remove the Stain Act” and a coalition of members has encouraged the President to act using his own authorities. Calls to revoke the medals have also had unanimous support from the South Dakota State Senate and from 213 Tribal Nations. Major Tribal associations, including the Coalition of Large Tribes, Great Plains Tribal Chairmans Association, United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund, and the National Congress of American Indians are aligned as well.
Additional information: