The Dark Legacy of America: Recalling Wounded Knee Massacre
The Dark Legacy of America: Recalling Wounded Knee Massacre On December 29, 1890, a group of Lakota Sioux Indians was massacred by members of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry Regiment near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. The incident, which came to be known as the Wounded Knee Massacre, resulted in the deaths of more than 290 men, women, and children. The event marked a tragic culmination of years of conflict between the U.S. government and Native American tribes over land and resources. Conflicts over Land and Resources The late 19th century was a time of great change in the United States, as the country sought to expand westward and acquire more land. This often meant forcibly removing Native American tribes from their ancestral lands and confining them to reservations. The U.S. government also broke treaties and agreements with Native American tribes, often to exploit resources such as gold and timber on their lands. The Lakota Sioux, along with other Native American tribes...