Wounded Knee Massacre Essay

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The Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890 2

No one can describe The Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890 without digging in the past and getting some background on the events leading up to The Wounded Knee Massacre. There has been a battle between America and them wanting to remove Native Americans from their land ever since America was “discovered” by the Americans. In 1829 at his inaugural address President Andrew Jackson emphasized his desire “to observe toward Indian tribes within our limits a just and liberal policy, and to give that humane and considerate attention to their rights and their wants which is consistent with the habits of our Government and the feelings of our people”. Within 14 months of that speech Jackson himself urged Congress to …show more content…

( Home, n.d. para 3) Shortly after the United States Government took the Black Hills away from the Sioux in 1877. The reason that the Native Americans fought so hard for the Black Hills was because it was given to them by Wakan Tanka, which in Sioux means Great Spirit Mystery. ( Wakan Tanka, n.d. ) Wakan Tanka is thought to be creator of the universe; believed to be the all providing one. The Native Americans do not describe the this creator because “it is a mystery”, they advise “leave it alone; no one describe such mystery.” ( Wakan Tanka, n.d. …show more content…

Bluecoats’ bullets would not penetrate these “Ghost Shirts”. The Ghost dance spread like wildfire through the Sioux villages of the Dakota reservations and the Native Americans were once again revitalized and brought fear to the whites. So much fear that some of the Indian agents at the Pine Ridge Reservation quickly wired a telegram to Washington and told me of the, “ Indians are dancing in the snow and are wild and crazy….We need protection and we need it now. The leaders should be arrested and confined at some military post until the matter is quieted, and this should be done now.” ( Massacre At Wounded Knee,1890.n.d.

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