Wounded Knee Massacre site safely in Tribal hands

U.S. Indian Affairs

135th Wounded Knee Massacre Commemoration 2025 - SD Congressional Delegates and BIA Deputy Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs discuss Wounded Knee Memorial and Sacred Sites Act: Majority Leader & US Senator Thune (SD), US Senator Rounds (SD) & US House of Representatives Johnson (SD).

Wounded Knee, S.D.—In mid-December, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act, was signed into law.

"It has been almost 135 years to the day of the tragedy that unfolded at Wounded Knee and [now], the president signed my bill into law to preserve the land where hundreds of lives were lost," said U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), who sponsored the bill. "I am grateful the Oglala and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes will be able to hold this land in perpetuity as a way to honor and memorialize the lost."

The law protects a portion of the Wounded Knee Massacre site in South Dakota by placing about 40 acres into restricted fee status for the Oglala and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes, preventing commercial development and ensuring its permanent use as a sacred memorial, honoring the Lakota people. The bill ensures tribal ownership, prevents state/local taxation and allows tribal jurisdiction, marking a significant step in preserving this tragic historical site. The bill also aligns with the federal government's determination to restore tribal homelands and empower tribes.

The land, for generations, was owned by a non-Indigenous family who operated a trading post and museum on the land. The tribes purchased the land in 2022 and now have had it placed permanently in their hands through the federal legislation.

The bill was first introduced by Johnson in May, 2023. It passed the House unanimously in January 2025. The Senate companion bill was led by U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) and passed the Senate unanimously in December 2025. It was signed into law by President Trump on December 19, 2025, becoming Public Law No: 119-61.

"As we approach the 135th anniversary of the Wounded Knee Massacre, we are pleased that the United States has recognized the legacy and sacrifice of our ancestors and that it has finally pledged federal protection for our hallowed land at the massacre site," said Frank Star Comes Out, president, Oglala Sioux Tribe. "This bill is an important step in the healing process for our Lakota people."

"The president signed the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act," said Ryman LeBeau, chairman, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. "The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and our Wounded Knee Survivor Association, acting in consultation with our Oglala Sioux relatives, believed that it was very important that our Wounded Knee Massacre Sacred Site is in the name of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe, subject to the protections of our 1868 Treaty. The House, Senate and the President have agreed, so that we may remember and honor our relatives we lost at Wounded Knee, now and in future generations. The Act and the Report also acknowledge the history of the Wounded Knee Massacre and America's Apology. On behalf of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, we say Wopila, with special thanks to Representative Johnson, Senator Rounds and Senator Thune. This is a good day for our Lakota oyáté (people)!"

On December 29, Tribal and U.S. federal officials traveled to Wounded Knee on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to mark the 135th anniversary of the killing of hundreds of Lakota and Dakota people-and to celebrate the signing of the Wounded Knee Memorial and Sacred Sites Act into law. During the event, the names were read of 338 Indigenous people who were killed during the atrocity.

"The recognition in the law, designating it as (a massacre) I think is important," said Thune at the event. "What happened here 135 years ago will always be a blight on our state and on our nation's history. But it's important for those coming generations that this site be preserved to honor the victims, to honor the lost and remind future generations of what happened here."

Tribal leaders say that any decision about what to do with the land will be done in consultation with Wounded Knee descendants.

"The Wounded Knee land will be used for sacred purposes and remembrance, including ceremonies and prayer, and the descendants of victims and survivors of the Wounded Knee Massacre will be consulted about the proper care and maintenance of the land as a memorial and sacred site and about the ceremonies and activities to be conducted on the land," President Star Comes Out said.