SD Congressman Dusty Johnson visits Wounded Knee massacre site
Oglala Sioux Tribal President Frank Star Comes Out with SD Congressman Dusty Johnson and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman Ryman LeBeau at the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre Grave-site. (Photo courtesy Congressman Dusty Johnson)
Cheyenne River Lakota Tribal Chairman Ryman LeBeau, said, “I can’t remember the last time we had a visit from a member of our congressional delegation.” He seemed pleased to welcome Congressman Dusty Johnson (R-SD) who represents all of South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Johnson’s June 28, 2023, visit to the Wounded Knee burial site coincided with his actions in support of the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act, which preserves a section of land where in 1890 hundreds of unarmed Lakota, mostly women and children, were slaughtered by the 7th Calvary of the U.S. Army.
Johnson introduced the bill into Congress on May 16, 2023. In a statement released at the time, Johnson said, “The Wounded Knee Massacre is a stain on our nation’s history. The Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act provides greater tribal sovereignty to this sacred tribal land. Memorializing the Lakota lives lost will ensure this site remains sacred for generations to come.”
The bill passed unanimously through the House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs on June 13 with both Republican and Democratic members approving. It then went to the full House Natural Resources Committee for a vote. The full House committee passed the bill unanimously on June 13. In an era of extreme partisanship, to have any bill approved unanimously with “yea” votes from both Republican and Democratic committee members can be called something of a miracle. In this case, the miracle occurred twice, once in the subcommittee and once in the full committee.
Oglala Sioux President Frank Star Comes Out said, “In 1990, Congress acknowledged the ‘tragedy’ and ‘historical significance’ of the Wounded Knee Massacre and expressed its ‘deep regret’ to our people for it. That was an important step to address one of the darkest days in our history. H.R. 3371, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act, represents another important step in that process … We thank Representative Johnson for introducing H.R. 3371. We ask Congress to enact this important and impactful bill this session.”
On June 13, Johnson released a statement saying, “I’m thankful for the collaboration between both tribes and my office over the past seven months. Our nation has an imperfect past, and it is important to remember and honor those lives lost on that dark day. I’m glad the committee agreed on the importance of passing this bill and I look forward to getting it passed out of the House.”
In September 2022, the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe and the Oglala Lakota tribe jointly purchased the 40-acre field protected by the Act. The property currently resides within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation’s boundaries. On October 21st, 2022, the two tribes signed a covenant, stating that this property shall be held and maintained as a memorial and sacred site without any development.
The Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act places the purchased land into restricted fee status to be held by the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Restricted fee status allows the tribes to own the land outright, while also keeping protections in place, such as a restriction on alienation and taxation from any state or local government.
This bill states that the land will continue to be owned by both tribes, subject to civil and criminal jurisdiction of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, may not be sold without the consent of Congress and both tribes, and is not subject to taxation by any state or local government.
On June 7, 2023, Chairman LeBeau and President Frank Star Comes Out gave testimony before a hearing of the House Subcommittee regarding the Sacred Site Act. Johnson gave credit to the testimony of the two for the fact that the subcommittee quickly and unanimously approved the Act. Johnson vowed, “We are going to get this bill passed out of the U.S. House and we are going to do it within the next few months.”
On Wednesday, June 28, 2023, Johnson met with about thirty members of the HAWK1890 Wounded Knee Descendants Group from Cheyenne River and the Sitanka Takini (Chief Bigfoot) Wounded Knee Descendants Group of Oglala, SD, as he visited the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Burial Ground. Later in the day Johnson, LeBeau and other guests enjoyed a good meal with the Pine Ridge Tribal Council.
According to communications from Johnson’s office, the gathering at the Wounded Knee site on Wednesday, June 28, started at St. John’s Church on the outskirts of the Pine Ridge Reservation where Massacre survivors were taken and treated by Dr. Charles Eastman. LeBeau, Star Comes Out, Cedric Broken Nose of the Sitanka Takini (Chief Bigfoot) Wounded Knee Descendants Group, and about two dozen additional Wounded Knee descendants joined Rep. Johnson at St. John’s.
The group then went to the Wounded Knee Cemetery and held a prayer ceremony. Afterwards, Johnson joined the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council and others for a working lunch at Rocky Ford school. In remarks before lunch, CRST Chairman LeBeau thanked Rep. Johnson for his leadership and thanked the OST Tribal Council for hosting the meeting.
LeBeau said that jointly purchasing the 40 acres of land around the Wounded Knee site was “good tribe-to-tribe coordination, a good Oceti Sakowin mindset.”
When introduced at the luncheon, Johnson said, “It’s an honor to be here. … Our (congressional office) team is a junior partner in this scenario (of getting the Sacred Site Act passed by the House of Representatives). I follow y’all’s leadership in keeping this site sacred and protected forever. It was tremendous leadership for the tribes to purchase the land. That was step one. …”
Renee Iron Hawk, active in the HAWK 1890 Descendants group, said, “It was admirable and diplomatic for Dusty Johnson to come. We are grateful. It’s rare when (non-native) South Dakota legislators visit a reservation. I commend him for coming.” According to Johnson’s office, he last visited a Lakota reservation in 2020 when he met with members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe at their tribal transportation building.
Iron Hawk added, “We are holding our applause and celebrations until the bill passes. We’ve been here before (in the legislative process with other pieces of legislation). We’re satisfied (with the progress) but we are not jubilant.”
Manny Iron Hawk, spokesperson for the HAWK 1890 Descendants group, said, “We seek justice for our descendants. We need to heal. We also seek reparations,” and mentioned specifically reparations in the form of land in the Black Hills for a Wounded Knee descendants healing center.
In a statement published in Dakota News Now, Johnson said, ““America is a great nation, but we have certainly made mistakes, and part of being a great nation is acknowledging your mistakes and doing what you can to put them right and protecting this sacred space working with the tribes to get this done is one way I think we can own up to American history and make sure that tomorrow is even better than yesterday was.”
(Contact Grace Terry at grace@angelsabide.com)
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SOURCES:
Personal interviews with Manny and Renee Iron Hawk
Information provided by Marlis Afraid of Hawk
Press Release from Rep. Dusty Johnson’s office, May 16, 2023: Johnson Introduces Bill to Protect Land of Wounded Knee Massacre
Email communication from Kristen Kurtz, office of Rep. Dusty Johnson
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July 13, 2023