What Is The Wounded Knee Massacre And Where Did It Happen? Who Was Involved In It?

When expanding the land and taking over territories belonging to the indigenous communities, the settlers have often met with resistance. And this has often turned into bloody massacres. Such a slaughter did happen in American history a while back at the end of the 19th century, a period of violent resistance and fierce action that came to be known as the Wounded Knee Massacre.

There was so much emotion and pain behind the movement that had happened on the day of the massacre. The ferocious protest that occurred was a result of the continuous alienation that the indigenous Indians faced as they were ripped away from their culture and tradition. Here’s more about the brutal slaughter that took place in December of 1890.

Massacre That Happened In Wounded Knee Creek

This tragic event happened on December 29, 1890, after the US Army encountered the Indians near Wounded Knee Creek. A group of Ghost Dancers assembled under the leadership of Big Foot, a Lakota Sioux chief. There was also cavalry from the other side. A fight broke out between the Indians and the army leading to the death of a large number of people.

It was Col. James W. Forsyth who had commanded the army in the Lakota region back then. About 150 Indians were killed in the battle and along with 25 soldiers from the army. The battle was avoidable. But the US Army, as thought by many historians, may have been trying to take revenge for their earlier defeats. However, there was a series of encounters between the Indians had the Army that caused hundreds of deaths.

Ghost Dance Spiritual Movement

The Indians during the 1870s to 1890s were forced to take up the religion, practices, and way of life of the white man. Many of the tribes were part of the wandering or nomadic troops that loved to hunt. But they were forced to settle down, grow crops and raise livestock. Further, this was a move for the white settlers to just take over the lands that belonged to Indians.

Ghost Dance was a movement that the Indians used, to resist the white from imposing their alien culture on them. They also thought that this dance would help please God and bring back the peace of their former lives. The tribes would wear white “ghost shirts” which had certain symbols written on them. These symbols, they thought, would protect them from the bullets. Moreover, white officials were threatened by this rising religious movement. And throughout these years, many influential leaders were attacked and killed.