Case file
Wounded Knee Massacre
On December 29, 1890, near Wounded Knee Creek on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, U.S. Army troops of the 7th Cavalry Regiment killed between 250 and 300 Lakota people, most of them members of Spotted Elk's (Big Foot's) Miniconjou band along with 38 Hunkpapa Lakota. Fifty-one Lakota survivors — four men and 47 women and children — were wounded, some of whom later died. Twenty-five U.S. soldiers were killed and 39 wounded, six of whom later died of their wounds.
The encampment had been escorted the previous day to Wounded Knee Creek by a detachment under Major Samuel M. Whitside after being intercepted near Porcupine Butte. The remainder of the regiment, commanded by Colonel James W. Forsyth, arrived that evening and surrounded the camp of roughly 350 Lakota — 120 men and 230 women and children — with about 500 troopers and four Hotchkiss mountain guns. The events occurred against a backdrop of U.S. seizure of Lakota lands, destruction of bison herds, and settler and military alarm over the spread of the Ghost Dance religion, which some officials feared presaged an armed uprising. Two weeks earlier, on December 15, 1890, Sitting Bull had been killed during an attempted arrest at Standing Rock, prompting members of his band to flee and join Spotted Elk's group.
On the morning of December 29, troops moved to disarm the Lakota. Accounts describe a deaf Lakota man, Black Coyote, resisting having his rifle taken; his weapon discharged during a struggle, and several young Lakota men then fired concealed weapons at troops. Firing became indiscriminate. Some soldiers used Hotchkiss guns against the tipi camp housing women and children, and some soldiers pursued and killed fleeing Lakota, including women and children, across the prairie. A three-day blizzard followed before the dead could be recovered; burial parties later placed the bodies in a mass grave on a hill above the encampment. Reports indicate 84 men, 44 women, and 18 children were found dead on the field, with at least seven more Lakota mortally wounded.
Colonel Forsyth was relieved of command by General Nelson Miles, who believed Forsyth had deliberately violated orders. An Army Court of Inquiry criticized Forsyth's tactical decisions but exonerated him of responsibility; he was later reinstated and promoted. Nineteen soldiers received the Medal of Honor specifically for actions at Wounded Knee, and 31 for the broader campaign. In 2001 the National Congress of American Indians passed resolutions calling for these medals to be rescinded, and the South Dakota Senate and members of Congress have since called for review or revocation; as of 2025 the medals had not been revoked. In 1990, both houses of the U.S. Congress passed a resolution expressing "deep regret" for the massacre. The Wounded Knee Battlefield is a designated National Historic Landmark, and descendants formed the Wounded Knee Survivors Association to seek compensation and to preserve the site.
Key facts
- Victims
- Sitting Bull, Spotted Elk, Black Coyote
- Date
- 1890
- Location
- Wounded Knee Creek, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
- Case status
- solved
Case timeline
1890-12-15
Lakota leader Sitting Bull is killed during an attempted arrest by Indian police at Standing Rock, prompting members of his band to flee toward Spotted Elk's camp.
1890-12-23
Spotted Elk (Big Foot) and his Miniconjou band, along with 38 Hunkpapa Lakota, leave the Cheyenne River Reservation for Pine Ridge.
1890-12-28
A 7th Cavalry detachment under Major Samuel M. Whitside intercepts Spotted Elk's band near Porcupine Butte and escorts them to Wounded Knee Creek, where the remainder of the regiment under Colonel James W. Forsyth arrives and surrounds the camp.
1890-12-29
U.S. troops attempt to disarm the Lakota camp; gunfire breaks out and becomes indiscriminate, killing between 250 and 300 Lakota and 25 soldiers.
1890-12-30
The Drexel Mission Fight occurs near White Clay Creek between Lakota warriors and U.S. troops, including the 7th and 9th Cavalry.
1903
Descendants of those killed erect a monument at the mass gravesite.
1965
Wounded Knee is declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark.
1990-10
Both houses of the U.S. Congress pass a resolution expressing 'deep regret' for the massacre on its centennial.
2001
The National Congress of American Indians passes resolutions condemning the Medal of Honor awards given for Wounded Knee and calls for their rescission.
2021-02
The South Dakota Senate unanimously calls on the U.S. Congress to investigate the Medals of Honor awarded for the massacre.
2021-03
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jeff Merkley and Representative Kaiali'i Kahele introduce the Remove the Stain Act to revoke the Medals of Honor.
2024-07
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announces a joint Department of Defense and Department of the Interior review of the Wounded Knee Medals of Honor.
2024-10
The DoD review concludes, reportedly recommending that no medals be revoked.
2025-05
Senators Warren and Merkley and Representative Tokuda reintroduce the Remove the Stain Act of 2025.
2025-09-25
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announces the Medals of Honor will not be revoked, calling the decision final.
Best coverage
No approved coverage links are attached yet.
People
Sitting Bull
VICTIMHunkpapa Lakota leader killed by Indian police on December 15, 1890, shortly before the massacre, an event connected to its lead-up
Samuel M. Whitside
LAW ENFORCEMENTMajor who commanded the 7th Cavalry detachment that intercepted and escorted Spotted Elk's band to Wounded Knee Creek
Spotted Elk
VICTIMMiniconjou Lakota chief (also known as Big Foot) killed at Wounded Knee
Plenty Horses
ACQUITTEDBrulé Lakota man tried and acquitted for killing Army Lieutenant Edward W. Casey in the days following the massacre
James W. Forsyth
LAW ENFORCEMENTColonel who commanded the 7th Cavalry Regiment at Wounded Knee; relieved of command afterward, later exonerated by an Army Court of Inquiry and reinstated
Nelson A. Miles
LAW ENFORCEMENTGeneral who commanded the Army's Pine Ridge Campaign, relieved Forsyth of command, and later criticized the conduct of the massacre
Black Coyote
VICTIMDeaf Lakota man whose rifle discharged during disarmament and who died in the massacre
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- On December 29, 1890, U.S. 7th Cavalry troops surrounded a Lakota encampment at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota, and killed between 250 and 300 Lakota men, women, and children after an attempt to disarm the camp led to gunfire; 25 soldiers also died.
- Where did the massacre happen?
- Wounded Knee Creek, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: solved.
Related cases
View all cases
Sources
- Wounded Knee Massacrewikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
- Warren, Merkley, and Kahele Reintroduce the Remove the Stain Actnews · warren.senate.gov · 2026-07-07
- Congress Adjourns; Century Afterward, an Apology for Wounded Knee Massacrenews · The New York Times · 2026-07-07