A Congressional committee is advancing a bill protecting the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre.
The bill is backed by South Dakota U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds and John Thune.
It would place 40 acres of land at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre into restricted status. Rounds says this makes certain the land is held by both the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes for generations to come.
“I am pleased that the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act has unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs,” Rounds said. “The Wounded Knee Massacre represents a devastating low point in U.S.-Lakota relations and one of the darkest moments in our nation’s history. Thank you to my colleagues on the committee for agreeing that the land at this symbolic and somber site should be held in possession of both tribes to be honored and preserved for future generations.”
A previous version of the bill also advanced past committee but ended up blocked on the Senate floor in November of 2024.
Rep. Dusty Johnson introduced a similar version of the bill in the U.S. House.