Dec. 23, 2025:
United States President Donald Trump has signed (Dec. 19, 2025) legislation that permanently gives control of 40 acres of land at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre in South Dakota to both the Cheyenne River Sioux and the Oglala Sioux tribes.
The “Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act” was cosponsored by South Dakota Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds, with South Dakota U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson having sponsored companion legislation in the House.
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Ryman LeBeau said the Cheyenne River Sioux and their Wounded Knee Survivor Association– acting in consultation with their 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.” He said the Act and the Report also acknowledge the history of the Wounded Knee Massacre and America’s Apology.
Frank Star Comes Out, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said as they approach the 135th anniversary of the Wounded Knee Massacre (Dec. 29, 1890), the Oglala Sioux 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.” He said this bill is an important step in the healing process for the Lakota people.
January 23, 2025:
The Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act passed the U.S. House unanimously on Thursday (Jan. 23, 2025).
U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) worked with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe to introduce the bill that would preserve a section of the land where hundreds of Lakota Indians were massacred by the U.S. Army.
“In 2023, I visited the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre. I met with descendants of the survivors, and I saw the bloodstained floorboards of St. John’s Church where the wounded were treated,” said Johnson. “It was a tragic day in America’s history. My bill acknowledges our mistake and ensures this land will be sacred for generations to come.”
“On behalf of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, I am encouraged by the swift passage of the Wounded Knee Massacre site bill by the House of the 119th Congress. We continue to support Representative Dusty Johnson’s efforts in Congress to preserve the memory of the Wounded Knee Massacre and the legacy and sacrifice of our ancestors. This sacred site should forever serve to remind us of where we as a country have been and as a marker for how much further we have to go. This bill has bipartisan support and we look forward to a timely and favorable vote by the Senate to protect our Wounded Knee site in perpetuity,” said Frank Star Comes Out, President, Oglala Sioux Tribe.
“We thank Congressman Dusty Johnson and all the members of the House for acting quickly as the new Congress begins to pass the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act. This vital legislation honors the memory of our ancestors who were brutally murdered at the Wounded Knee Massacre site and will preserve this sacred ground for future generations and ensures it is maintained as an undeveloped memorial. We urge the Senate to now take up and pass this bill expeditiously so it can be signed into law,” said Ryman LeBeau, Chairman, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
“Congressman Johnson has long been a champion of tribal issues in the great state of South Dakota, and his Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act is a continuation of this important work. This legislation will set aside land within the Pine Ridge Reservation as a sacred site and memorial for the Lakota people who died during the tragedy of the Wounded Knee Massacre. I thank Congressman Johnson for his thoughtful work on this bill and look forward to working with him on more legislation in the future,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR).
Last Congress, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act passed the House unanimously but was not voted on by the U.S. Senate. Johnson reintroduced the bill earlier this month.
Read full bill text here. Find the Covenant between both tribes here. Find the map here.
Wounded Knee Massacre Background:
In the late 1880s, a movement called the Ghost Dance swept across the nation. Indians believed that this dance would give stolen land back to the Indians, bringing about a renewal of Native society. Indians would join together, wearing shirts they believed would protect them from bullets, to dance for this renewal, all at the protest of the federal government.
On December 29th, 1890, a group of Lakota Indians led by Chief Spotted Elk had made camp near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. There, U.S. Army 7th Calvary troops were sent to disarm the Lakota. A struggle occurred between the U.S. Army and some of Chief Spotted Elk’s band – a majority of which consisted of women and children. A shot rang out, and the U.S. Army opened fire on the largely unarmed group, massacring an estimated up to 350-375 Lakota Indians. Twenty-five U.S. soldiers also died.
January 16, 2025:
Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) have reintroduced (Jan. 15, 2025) the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act. This legislation would place 40 acres of land at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre into restricted fee status, making certain that the land is held by both the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes for generations to come.
The land at the site, located on the Pine Ridge Reservation, was purchased by the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in 2022. Shortly after the purchase, both tribes signed a covenant, holding that the property shall be held and maintained as a memorial and sacred site without any development.
“The Wounded Knee Massacre not only represents a low point in U.S.- Lakota relations, but it also serves as one of the darkest moments in our nation’s history,” said Rounds. “To date, the Wounded Knee Massacre grounds remain a symbolic site, with tribal members regularly visiting the area to honor the deceased. This legislation would keep this land in possession of the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes to be protected and honored for generations to come.”
“The Wounded Knee Massacre grounds have long served as a place where tribal members can remember and honor those who lost their lives,” said Thune. “This legislation would preserve these grounds as a memorial site and ensure the land remains with the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes for future generations.”
This legislation passed the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in November 2023 during the 118th Congress. An attempt to pass the bill through unanimous consent was blocked on the Senate floor in November 2024.
Click HERE for full bill text.
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