WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – On Wednesday, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act passed the U.S. House by unanimous consent. This bill preserves a section of the land where hundreds of Lakota Indians were massacred by the U.S. Army. U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced the bill in May after months of working in coordination with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The bill unanimously passed the House Natural Resources Committee in June.

“What happened at Wounded Knee is a stain on our nation’s past that cannot be washed away,” said Johnson. “But passage of this bill is a step closer to properly memorializing the lives lost and protecting the land forever.”

“In the dead of winter, December 29, 1890, the United States’ 7th Cavalry massacred our People, old men, women, and children. We stand as a united voice for our ancestors who suffered the pain of the Wounded Knee Massacre and our countless generations who continue to suffer from the historical trauma.  We, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, extend our strong support for the passage of the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act.  We thank Dusty Johnson and the House for taking this important step,” said Chairman Ryman LeBeau, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

“We are pleased the House of Representatives acted quickly to pass this important legislation. This bill will protect our sacred land at Wounded Knee. It also continues the healing process for the descendants of victims and survivors of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre,” said President Frank Star Comes Out, Oglala Sioux Tribe.