The Wounded Knee Massacre, also known as the Battle of Wounded Knee, occurred on December 29, 1890, near Wounded Knee Creek on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It was the deadliest mass shooting in American history, during which nearly three hundred Lakota people were shot and killed by U.S. Army soldiers. The United States Congress awarded nineteen Medals of Honor to soldiers and officers who perpetrated the slaughter of from 250 to 300 Native Americans. Adding to the insult, the officer overseeing the attack was reinstated and eventually promoted to major general. This massacre was part of a genocidal government program to remove Native Americans from the United States. The procedure included breaking treaties, spreading diseases, killing bison to reduce food supply, relocating Native Americans like the Trail of Tears, and civilian and military massacres. Some of these actions were due to contact with settlers and soldiers.

According to several sources, most notably The Congressional Medal Society, only eighteen medals were awarded for the Wounded Knee Massacre. Let other sources say nineteen to twenty medals were awarded. Some of the confusion may come from the three medals that were awarded to members of the Seventh Infantry who fought at the Battle of White Clay Creek or the Drexel Mission Fight that took place on December 30, 1890. My addition says twenty-one medals.

Native American organizations have lobbied to remove the medals. In February 2021, the South Dakota Senate unanimously called upon the United States Congress to investigate the twenty medals of honor awarded to members of the Seventh Cavalry for their participation in the massacre. Lawmakers argued that the medals given to the soldiers of the Seventh Cavalry Regiment tarnished Medals of Honor given to soldiers for genuine acts of courage. The “Remove the Stain Act,” proposed on March 26, 2021, outlines the reasons why this bill was introduced in the United States House of Representatives.

The Defense Department will review the Medals of Honor given to 20 U.S. soldiers for their actions in the 1890 battle at Wounded Knee to ensure that their conduct merits such an honorable award.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the review by a special panel of experts after consultation with the White House and the Department of the Interior. Congress recommended such a review in the 2022 defense bill, reflecting a push by some lawmakers to rescind the awards for those who participated in the massacre on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation near Wounded Knee Creek.

In a memo signed in July 2024, Austin said the panel would review each award “to ensure no soldier was recognized for conduct that did not merit recognition” and if their conduct demonstrated any disqualifying actions. Those could include rape or murder of a prisoner or attacking a non-combatant or someone who had surrendered.

The history of Wounded Knee is a powerful reminder of the struggles faced by Native American communities and the ongoing efforts to honor their heritage and seek justice.

To learn more, please read my in-depth essay on the Wounded Knee Massacre.