Today we went to the site of the Massacre at Wounded Knee. We were able to hear from tribal member and Re-Member staffer, Dakota High Hawk. He told us about the massacre of 1890 and the Wounded Knee incident in 1973 where the Oglala Lakota and members of AIM protested the treatment of Native American tribes. It was really incredible to hear about what happened at Wounded Knee from Dakota, who is a descendent of a survivor. I felt I connected because we were sitting on a hill looking down at a field where so many people were killed.
I have been hearing about Wounded Knee since middle school and I think both events that happened there are so important to U.S. History. That is why, it was shocking to me that there was only a small monument in the middle of a small gravesite. You could drive past Wounded Knee without realizing it. There is a hand painted sign and a small museum that is falling apart and currently closed. The lack of visitor center or museum was so tangible and helped me understand the socio-economic depression in Pine Ridge even more.
Dakota discussed how the U.S. has tried time and time again to sanitize U.S. history. He told us that over time so many people and events are "forgotten." When I told people I was going on this trip they were confused. Some people didn't understand why I would "waste" my spring break....others didn't know what Pine Ridge or Wounded Knee were. I felt today like Wounded Knee has been forgotten; forgotten by the history books, forgotten by the government, forgotten by people. I hope that someday soon Pine Ridge and Wounded Knee will be remembered.
No comments:
Post a Comment