DEC 29: Massacre at Wounded Knee

On Dec. 29, 1890, more than 200 men, women, and children of the Lakota Sioux are killed at Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota when the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment, under Colonel James W. Forsyth attempts to confiscate their weapons.

The U.S. government had confined the Lakota people to reservations, where they experienced depravation and suffered from the loss of their land and culture. A spiritual revival known as the Ghost Dance movement offered hope for a return to their traditions, but it alarmed settlers and the government, which feared an uprising.

Members of Battery “E” of the 1st Artillery stand beside Hotchkiss guns. (Credit: Library of Congress)

The killing of Lakota leader Sitting Bull in mid-December at Standing Rock Indian Reservation triggered Chief Spotted Elk and his band of Minneconjou Lakota to head toward the Pine Ridge Agency for protection. U.S. 7th Cavalry troops intercepted them and escorted them to a camp at Wounded Knee Creek, then surrounded them with soldiers and rapid-fire Hotchkiss guns.

On the morning of Dec. 29, a scuffle broke out between soldiers and a Lakota named Black Coyote when soldiers tried to confiscate his rifle. Black Coyote was deaf and reportedly did not understand the soldiers’ orders. The gun discharged and the soldiers immediately opened fire.

 Estimates of the Lakota that died that morning range from 150 to 300, with nearly half being women and children. Twenty-five soldiers were also killed, most by friendly fire. The event was initially called a battle and 20 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions. For years, native American communities sought removal of those military honors, but in September 2025, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced a decision not to rescind the existing medals, referring to the event as a battle rather than massacre, and framing the soldiers’ actions as legitimate military action.