[Note: Four Directions has paid me for freelance writing. Four Directions is not paying me to write this article.]
OJ Semans, leader of American Indian civil rights organization Four Directions, is asking the federal government to rescind the Medals of Honor awarded to twenty U.S. soldiers for their part in the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890:
Though this demand has been made previously, on behalf of the tens of millions of patriotic Americans who know what is right and just, I simply ask you use your authority to now, finally, correct this injustice.
The “Battle at Wounded Knee” on December 29, 1890 was no battle. It was a massacre.
United States soldiers murdered innocent women and children. Many of my ancestors were among the Lakota people murdered that chilling winter day. Those innocent Lakota people had committed no crime. They were making no war. Rather, they were seeking hope and refuge on the frozen Plains of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation while the United States continued to violate the Treaties of 1851 and 1868.
The 7th Cavalry, which was obligated by treaty to protect my ancestors, instead hunted my ancestors, surrounded them and gunned hundreds of them down. This included terrified women and children who fled – defenseless – through the snow, forever stained by their blood.
…For this atrocity, 20 soldiers of the 7th Cavalry Regiment received the highest honor awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for exceptional “gallantry” in battle. The murderers of Wounded Knee committed no gallantry. They committed an atrocity that stains the honor of the United States Armed Services to this day [OJ Semans, letter to the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reprinted in Indianz.com, 2019.02.04].
Semans’s request comes after Donald Trump’s offensive invocation of the Wounded Knee Massacre in a cheap Tweet attack on Elizabeth Warren last month. Our Senators M. Michael Rounds and John Thune found that tweet offensive, but asked about Semans’s letter, the Senators “took no position… saying they are still reviewing it.”
Rookie Congressman Dusty Johnson apparently reads faster:
Johnson, after being shown the Four Directions letters by the Journal, replied with a written statement.
“Wounded Knee left behind one the darkest stains in our nation’s history,” Johnson said. “If medals were awarded to soldiers who massacred noncombatants at Wounded Knee, that was a grave mistake. We need to have a conversation about how we can rectify that” [Seth Tupper, “Trump’s Tweet Sparks Effort to Rescind Wounded Knee Medals,” Rapid City Journal, 2019.02.12].
Congressman Johnson appears to recognize that this issue requires little study. The historical and moral facts of the Wounded Knee Massacre are clear are well-known: the United States Army murdered hundreds of women and children who posed no threat to them or the nation. Congress recognized those grim facts in 1990 with Senate Concurrent Resolution 153, which formally expressed the nation’s “deep regret… for this terrible tragedy.”
Our previous Congressman Johnson, a fellow named Tim, helped push that resolution through Congress during Governor George Mickelson’s “Year of Reconciliation” with our tribal people. Perhaps our current Congressman Johnson will push a resolution to take action on that duly expressed regret and rescind the unwarranted Medals of Honor granted for the dishonorable massacre at Wounded Knee.
Thank you Dusty Johnson, but there is nothing to really talk about. This is a very sad part of South Dakota history and should be taught in schools, and absolutely the Medals should be rescinded.
Dusty: thank you.
Know that Pennington County Democrats early on resolved our support for changing the name to Black Elk Peak, spurring on SDDP’s resolution as well. Immediately Daugaard took action through his cabinet to:
1) castigate and nueter the SD Geographical Name Board’s decision supporting the name change of Harney Peak, named by his officer G. Warren in 1855 after Warren loaded wagons on the Blue Water massacre field, which artifacts wound up in Gen Harney’s and Warren’s estates before their inventory of whatever artifacts remained, in the Smithsonian to this day. “Little Chief’s Gatherings” Chadron Fur Trade Museum curator (19__).
2.). Next the SD Legislature immediately passed member/water carrier for Daugaard, Lee Schoenbeck’s Bill cancelling any further state name change of Indian geographic places. Slim Buttes for example is a sacred place recognized in Lakota Star Knowledge, as is Mato Paha (bike rally threatened Bear Butte) and Deerfield prairie Pe’ Sla. Infamous ignorant Republican defamer Grdznick here frequently slanders this scared location after Lakota and other Indian people purchased this treaty land from the homesteaders for $10M.
A hypocritical powerful SD generational ‘elite’ Republican. Despite citizen referenda and lawful excercise of law, SDGOP cancels the will of the people.
“Rookie Congressman Dusty Johnson apparently reads faster:”
Love the snark. While I probably won’t agree with everything Dusty does or says, It’s hard not to say he is a massive upgrade in the position. At least for now, Dusty seems to be more interested in common sense (this is a “duh” thing to support) than GOP-style political correctness (i.e. not pissing off the racists).
Good for Dusty. I first learned of the Wounded Knee Medals of Honor over 40 years ago and was amazed that they had been awarded for that action. It’s high time they were revoked and I’m proud of my congressman for apparently being willing to step forward on the issue.
Now if only our senators would step up.
How is it that grudznick
Frequently?
Slander?
Leave grudznick out of your deluded rants. I’m all for pulling the medals from those 20 fellows, and Pe’ Sla is a fine place. I used to drive through it to get to a fishing hole and always enjoyed it.
Wopila Congressman Johnson, Wopila.
I’ll give Johnson points for his response. Now move to action Dusty. Write a bill. Find sponsors. Get going.
#2 and Rounds, DO SOMETHING POSITIVE here.
A couple of items to consider regarding the individual awards issued to Army soldiers as a result of the tragedy at Wounded Knee in 1891:
– The Army officers and senior NCO’s involved were, for the most part, very seasoned veterans, with most veterans of the Civil War, with most individuals having decades of military experience.
– In 1891, the available forms of individual recognition of soldiers were limited. There were only four options available for those lieutenants, captains, majors, and colonels to recognize their soldiers: Honorable Mention in published General orders; Certificates of Merit for enlisted soldiers; Brevet Promotions for officers; and Medals of Honor.
– The Army issued 426 Medals of Honor for actions during the Indian Campaigns, 13 posthumously. See https://history.army.mil/moh/int1871-98.html
– Some of those soldiers and their officers involved at Wounded Knee received multiple Medals of Honor during the course of their careers. One soldier who was awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions at Wounded Knee received a Medal of Honor for his actions at Drexel Creek just days later.
– For a more detailed review and summary of the Army’s recognition of soldiers and officers present at Wounded Knee in Dec 1891, based on first-hand accounts, see https://armyatwoundedknee.com/gallantry-in-action/.