I didn't get past the roadblocks on Highway 27. I don't know what I was thinking I was going to do or see, but I took great interest in the American Indian Movement (AIM) occupation of the village of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation in February of 1973, so I decided to go down and see for myself what was happening. Shots had already been fired, FBI agents were everywhere, the government was moving troops in, and a military helicopter was circling above. I turned around.
I have been back to the reservation since, but only to the town of Pine Ridge from the west on Highway 18, not on 27 from the north, which passes through Wounded Knee. So now, forty-nine years later, I decided to go back to pay my respects at the original site of the 1890 massacre. If you are not familiar with what happened there, I suggest you look it up.
I was also curious to see if there was anything still there. I didn't find much. Only the front section of the church remains at the entrance to the memorial marking the mass grave of those killed by U.S. soldiers in the 1890 tragedy, and a small cemetery surrounding the memorial.
And only the chimney is still standing on the site of the old trading post.
The remnants of a museum and gathering place still stand nearby, just off the highway. I was fortunate to encounter a local resident who told me the history of the museum, including the fact that it was in use until 2019 and then abandoned when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and funds to maintain it were no longer available. It's sad to see how much it has deteriorated in only a couple of years.
The local resident turned out to be the artist who made the image above. His name is Sun Bear. Mato-Wi in the Lakota language. At first he was reluctant to allow his photograph to be taken, but after we spoke for some time, he posed for one picture standing outside the once beautiful and functional facility.
Mato-Wi walked the cemetery with me and told me some history of the graves. When we came to a headstone engraved with the name "Lost Bird" I asked him if it is the grave of 'THE' Lost Bird of Wounded Knee who survived the 1890 massacre as an infant. He said it is. Her remains were moved here from California in 1991.
The story of Lost Bird is fascinating. The link below provides an overview of her story. I recommend you find the book and read it if you haven't already.
One final note relating to AIM and the events that took place in 70s. It concerns Leonard Peltier. He is still sitting in a prison cell after being convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1977. Some say, including me, he is the victim of a terrible miscarriage of justice. Here is a link to a recent article about his case:
I suspect this post will not be of much interest to most of my readers. It doesn't contain the usual elements of odd humor, sarcasm or satire found in my posts. But it was a special journey for me, even if it was just a day trip. And if you take nothing else from this story, I hope you will at least be curious enough to follow the links.
Roger O'Dea 2/20/22
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