Liberation Wacipi: Celebrating 1973 Wounded Knee 51st Anniversary

 

It was more than half a century ago that hundreds of Native Americans set up camp in the community of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in protest of corrupt tribal leadership and to bring attention to the injustices surrounding the murders of Native Americans.

The siege, which lasted for 71 days, was called the “longest civil disorder” in U.S. history by the U.S. Marshals Service. However, for Indigenous people it was not a civil disorder, and instead was one of the events that galvanized members of the American Indian Movement in their quest to right injustices committed against Native Americans.

Indigenous people in and around He Sapa gathered to celebrate the 51st Anniversary of the Wounded Knee Takeover. Wambli Ska Okolakiciye and Dakota AIM Grassroots hosted the Liberation Wacipi on Saturday, February 24 at the Club for Boys.

The powwow included a Buffalo Feed and a hand drum contest as well several dance specials. The new AIM Princesses were also crowned, Miss Dakota AIM – Jada Steidley, Jr Miss Dakota AIM- Laileigh Lookstwice, And Lil Miss Dakota AIM- Rezzie West.

More than 300 people showed up for the event, including an AIM delegation from California which included Julian Rodriquez, Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla & Cupeño Indians, Simon Jones, Dine’, Tracker Gina Marie, Chiricahua Apache and Jay Sno Fly, Sicangu Lakota, who currently resides in San Diego.

Rodriquez said the grassroots AIM group has been coming to South Dakota for the Liberation events for past 8 years.

“We came to the protest at Standing Rock and two days later joined in the Longest March to Washington DC with Dennis Banks,” Rodriquez said. He said Standing Rock revitalized the movement “for a moment” in time and that his organization is currently actively involved in the MMIW movement.

From the powwow the group planned to join the 51st AIM Liberation Four Directions Walk that was slated for February 27, the anniversary of the 1973 Wounded Knee takeover.

Nick Tielson, Executive Director of NDN Collective who helped organize the two events issued the following statement on Facebook:

“51 years ago on this day, Indigenous resistors, grassroots community members, and members of the #AmericanIndianMovement came together at Wounded Knee, South Dakota in what would be a 71-day occupation in protest of the violation of Indigenous treaty rights, while also shining light on murders of Native American people and the lenient sentences given to white perpetrators.

Also as a response to oppressive GOON tactics on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the takeover at Wounded Knee catalyzed the Red Power Movement in the 70s and lent itself to a long legacy of Indigenous resistance. Today, we carry on the same spirit of resistance, remembering where we came from, while keeping a keen eye on the future of building Indigenous power.

Today, we remember all of the resistors and organizers of our past, and all of our relatives who made sacrifices during this era so that we all may realize and know our power while continuing to fight for our inherent rights unapologetically.”

(Contact Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa at editor@nativesunnews.today)

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