National Historic Landmark- Wounded Knee

On December 29, 1890, this was the scene of the last major clash between Native Americans and U.S. troops in North America.

In the period following the introduction of the Ghost Dance among the Lakota and the killing of Sitting Bull, a band of several hundred led by Big Foot left the Cheyenne River Reservation. Intercepted by U.S. troops, they had given themselves up and had been escorted to an army encampment on Pine Ridge Reservation when shooting suddenly started.

The ensuing struggle, short but bloody, resulted in 75 army casualties and the virtual massacre of Big Foot's band.

Credits and Sources:

Information courtesy of the National Park Service.