[00:00:02] HeyMud podcast presents.
[00:00:11] Good morning and welcome to Heart of the Earth. This is a program about Native Americans and other indigenous cultures. My name is Agnes. This week, you know, between Christmas and New Year's, is always a difficult one for the Lakota Dakota people with the anniversary of the massacre at Wounded Knee. The hanging of 38 men in Makato, ordered by President Lincoln day after Christmas, said they were stealing some food. Of course, they weren't giving him food like they promised, but we remember the 130.
[00:00:53] And this is from Levi Rickett of Native News Online.
[00:00:57] Yes, he says we remember the 133 winters ago, on December 29th of 1890, when innocent Lakota men, women and children were massacred by the 7th Calvary Regiment near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Some estimates place the death toll close to 300, underscoring the horrific scale of this tragedy. The massacre occurred under the pretense of disarming the Lakota, who had already suffered profound losses due to US Policies, broken treaties and forced relocations. That December, the Great Plains were covered in heavy snowfall, adding to the grim and unforgiving conditions. The Lakota ancestors who were killed were left lying in the brutal, frigid environment of the reservation until a burial party arrived days later to place their frozen bodies in a mass grave. A haunting photograph of Chief Bigfoot's frozen and contorted body has since become a powerful symbol for American Indians, a stark reminder of the atrocities endured by their ancestors. Some survivors of the massacre were taken to the Episcopal Mission in Pine Ridge, where they received care in time. They shared oral histories of the events that unfolded that day, passing along the stories of their trauma and resilience to future generations. These accounts form the foundation of our understanding of what happened, preserving the memory of those who suffered and died. One poignant detail from that dark chapter in American history has remained etched in my mind since I first read these words from Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee quote. It was the fourth day after Christmas of the year of our Lord 1890, when the first torn and bleeding bodies were carried into the candlelit church. Those who were conscious could see Christmas greenery hanging from the open rafters. Across the channel above the pulpit was strung a crudely lettered banner. Peace on Earth. Goodwill to men.
[00:03:02] There was no place on earth for the Lakota. There was no peace on earth for the Lakota that day. Instead, there was unimaginable violence and suffering, compounded by the bitter irony of that banner hanging above the pulpit. It stands as A chilling reminder of the cruelty and Christian hypocrisy faced by Indigenous peoples during this era. Adding insult to injury, some 20 US Calvary soldiers were awarded Medals of Honor for their actions during the massacre. These commendations, meant to recognize acts of heroism, instead glorified the slaughter of innocent Lakota men, women and children.
[00:03:45] The grotesque distortion of injustice is an affront to the memory of those who perished and to humanity itself. Today, there's a growing movement to rectify this historical rom the quote, remove the stain act that lingers in Congress aims to strip those soldiers of their Medals of Honor, a long overdue step toward acknowledging the truth of what happened at Wounded Knee. Passing this legislation would be a meaningful act of justice, a bet symbolic for the Lakota people and and all American Indians. The Wounded Knee massacre is not only an historical tragedy, but also symbol for all American Indians of the injustices inflicted upon their ancestors. It marks the end of the American Indian Wars. Yet it also signifies a moment when Indigenous peoples were largely erased from mainstream American history.
[00:04:36] After Wounded Knee, many history books fell silent about the continued struggles and resilience of Native peoples as if they no longer existed. But we do exist. Native Americans have endured and persevered for generations since Wounded Knee. And despite the systematic efforts to erase our culture, language and identity, we have survived. It is our responsibility as descendants to honor our ancestors by remembering their sacrifices and by building a better future for ourselves and the generations to come. We are taught to prepare for the next seven generations, ensuring that their lives are enriched by the lessons of the past and the resilience of our people.
[00:05:21] As we work toward a brighter future, we must never forget the ancestors we lost 132 winters ago on December 134 years ago on December 29, 1890. Their memory fuels our determination to preserve our culture, advocate for justice, and ensure that the stories of our people are never forgotten. By remembering Wounded Knee, we honor their lives and reaffirm our commitment to a legacy of strength, survival and hope.
[00:05:55] And another story. This is the Wounded Knee survivor Jenny Walks first woman remembered by her granddaughter.
[00:06:03] December is a difficult time for the Lakota. And again, this is by Marnie Cook from the sun from the Native Sun News today.
[00:06:12] And she says December is a difficult time for the Lakota as their non native neighbors are buying gifts and putting up Christmas lights. Tribal members from all over the state watch the Bigfoot riders make their way from Bullhead, South Dakota to Wounded Knee and remember the massacre that happened there, as well as the events that led to the killing of the defenseless, starving and desperate relatives, many Native Americans continue to suffer the legacies of loss and trauma caused by acts of violence committed upon even after the last massacre. The cycle of grief has only been compounded by the retelling of the settler story, which lauds the policies of removal that have devastated tribal communities their own, suppressed or omitted entirely. Native children, alongside their non Native classmates, have learned for more than a century that Christopher Columbus discovered America, the Pilgrims and Indians were friends, and that the federal government battled to save the settlers from the inexplicable murderous intent of the savage.
[00:07:20] But by the mid 20th century there was a movement to force the federal government to recognize treaties, sovereignty and the protection of Native Americans and their civil liberties. This activism manifested in many ways. Some took to occupying Alcatraz island and Mount Rushmore, while others pursued higher education and searched for academic answers. The grief from past tragedies persists today, but the ability to share their own stories has been a source of healing for individuals, families and communities. Monica Garou from the Cheyenne River Reservation recently recounted the story of her grandmother who survived the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre during a Community Relations Commission sponsored event at the Rapid City Library.
[00:08:08] Garou was born at Cheyenne river, attended Timberlake High School and graduated from Black Hill State University and after teaching for a few years, she pursued further education at Arizona State University. Quote I'm so happy to be able to tell the story of my grandmother, Jenny Walk's first woman, garou shared to a full house. Quote It's a horrendous event that I'll be sharing with you today, she said matter of factly. Quote Nevertheless, I'll be talking about the massacre at Wounded Knee, 1890 and my grandmother was an unknowing participant or survivor of it and she wasn't very old. Garou explained that in 1890 was not a good time for Native Americans. Food and resources were scarce. Quote it was a really desperate time period for Native Americans. Buffalo had been hunted to near extinction by buffalo hunt buffalo hunters who did not hunt for the meat they were after the hides and skulls. Children being placed in boarding schools often transported far away from home. For members of the Standing Rock, Cheyenne river and Pine Ridge reservations, the schools in Pennsylvania and Virginia were a long way from home. Garou explained that land was being taken by settlers while Native Americans had been removed to reservations where which were small pieces of land. Quote the railroad companies advertised that Indian land was for sale with easy payments and a person could have possession within 30 days. States were offering thousands of acres for grazing and farming it was a madhouse of sellers who were coming here. It was rumored that a Paiute prophet named Jack Wilson in Nevada promised through prayer that traditional lands would be returned and the settlers would leave. Quote and so this prayer became the Ghost Dance religion. Really it is a very peaceful movement, but it frightened people and it frightened probably the wrong people. The Calvary specifically, who misunderstood the fasting and singing and tried to prohibit gatherings. The Ghost Dance spread across the Dakotas. Sitting Bull, who had been the grand marshal at the fourth of July parade in Bismarck, North Dakota that year, was told to cease and desist, but he resisted. Quote. Police were sent to his homestead and it was in the early December morning hours that a scuffle broke out and Sitting Bull was shot and killed. The people became afraid and so decided they needed to travel south to Cherry Creek.
[00:10:49] Garrow's grandmother, her husband and her two children lived along Cherry Creek and belonged to this band, a community of about 350 led by Bigfoot. They too wanted to consult Respected Leader about the Ghost Dance, specifically Red Cloud, who was at Pine Ridge. But they were prevented from traveling. So they decided they would build their fires really big and leave in the middle of the night to get to Pine Ridge. The Calvary discovered they were gone and tracked them easily through the snow. They had already left. They are overTaken by the 7th Calvary just 8 miles from Pine Ridge.
[00:11:27] My grandmother said that the cavalry was very accommodating to them the night before, said Garou. So there was no reason to think anything was wrong or that they were in danger.
[00:11:37] During the night, my grandmother said that she heard movement around them but didn't suspect anything. They had no idea they were being surrounded. The next morning, December 29th, surrounded by cavalry, they were ordered to surrender all weapons, including knives and awls, sewing needles, quote so my grandmother gathered her stuff and gave it to her husband to take to the center of the circular encampment as ordered. And when he was gone, it was when the shooting started. Her recollection was that the smoke was so heavy she couldn't see anything. That smoke was created by the military's new guns, the Hotchkiss, a revolving cannon that had not been field tested prior to the massacre.
[00:12:21] Wauk's first woman had her four year old daughter and a baby on her back. People were screaming and yelling. She reached out and grabbed a horse. It happened to be the one that belonged to them and so was familiar to her. As she got on the back of the horse, she felt something hit her back, but she didn't stop. She continued her journey into the Badlands until she felt it was safe to stop. Quote as she had suspected, the baby had been shot and was dead. So she found some dirt and buried the baby. Then she and her little little girl returned to Cherry Creek. Not long after their return, the little girl began having respiratory problems and passed away shortly after that. Quote My grandma always thought that it was the heavy smoke that she breathed in on those killing fields that damaged her lungs.
[00:13:10] 300 men, women and children died that day. Garou's grandmother, who lost her entire family that day, was one of the 50 people who survived. Quote One of them was my grandmother and one was her brother, Charlie Blue Arm. She was so amazing.
[00:13:31] And this is from Ernestine Hopa from Native News Today, and she says in the vast and rugged landscapes of South Dakota and Minnesota, the air carries stories of resilience, loss and remembrance Every year. Every year, riders gather from various tribes and communities to participate in memorial rides that pay tribute to significant historical events in their history the massacre at wounded knee in 1890 and the December 26, 1862 hanging of the Dakota 382 at Moncato, Minnesota. The execution of the Dakota 38 is considered the largest mass execution in US history. Each December, as the chill air settles over the state, a solemn group of riders mounts their horses for the Omaka Tocatakea, forming the Wounded Knee Memorial Ride. This ride retraces the steps of Lakota ancestors who faced unimaginable tragedy on December 29th of 1890. The journey begins the ancestral lands where Sitting Bull was killed and ends at Tongpa Wakpala, where over 300 Huangpapa men and women and children lost their lives at the hands of the US 7th Calvary. Riders, donning traditional regalia and carrying flags representing their tribes, set off in a processional that emphasizes unity and remembrance. And as they ride along the snow dusted trail, stories are shared. Stories of courage, of cultural survival, and of the enduring spirit of the Lakota people. Each rider embodies not just their own family's history, but also honors those who came before them. The ride culminates at the Wounded Knee Memorial, where gatherings involve prayers, songs and reflections that acknowledge the pain and loss while celebrating strength and resilience. Other poignant rides that occur in December commemorate the Dakota 38 +2 who were hanged at Mikado, Minnesota following the uprising of 1862. This event marked a significant uprising by the Dakota Sioux against the US Government, broken treaties and encroachment on their lands. It serves as a reminder of the struggles faced by Indigenous peoples in their fight for survival and justice. The Dakota Exiles Ride begins near the historical site at Santee, Nebraska, where families of those exiled out of Minnesota settled after the uprising reside there to this day and ends at the Dakota 38 Memorial at Reconciliation park in Mankato, Minnesota. The Makota Reconciliation and Healing Ride begins at Fort Thomas, South Dakota, at the site where the Dakota Oyate were held as prisoners after the uprising. Riders traverse the same paths once traveled by their ancestors, connecting the past with their present day advocacy for Native rights. As they journey, they share stories of hardship, sacrifice, and resilience, ensuring that the memories of the fallen are not lost to time.
[00:16:57] At key locations along the route, ceremonies are held to honor those who fought for their right to exist and thrive in their homelands. The writers speak out about the importance of acknowledging these historic events to foster understanding and healing in contemporary society. They advocate for ongoing discussions about historical injustices, promoting a future rooted in respect and recognition of Indigenous rights. These memorial rides, while steeped in pain, are also celebrations of survival and community. They serve as vital conduits for history, allowing younger generations to connect with their roots and embrace their cultural identity. The gatherings foster a sense of solidarity among Indigenous communities and encourage dialogue about the past impact on the present.
[00:17:51] Participants wear traditional attire, share meals, and engage in storytelling sessions that bring warmth to the cold winter evenings. Elders impart wisdom and encouraging the youth to honor their heritage and continue the fight for justice. The rides also attract allies from outside communities who come to learn and show their support for Native issues. As the sun sets over the South Dakota plains, casting golden hues over the riders, a profound sense of purpose fills the air. The stories of Wounded knee and the 1862 uprising are woven into the fabric of these rides, reminding all participants of their shared history, their struggles, and their hope for a more equitable future.
[00:18:39] Through these rides, the spirit of resilience shines brightly, lightening the way for generations to come, ensuring that the voices of their ancestors resonate in the hearts of all who ride together. They continue to honor the legacies of those who fought for their rights and remind the world of the ongoing journey towards justice and healing.
[00:19:04] KMUD is a community radio station in the Redwood Region of Northern California. Donate to support people powered
[email protected] and this is from Professor Victoria Sutton and she says traditional ceremonies to welcome a new year have been carried out by Native American Native nations since long before the arrival of the colonists and the establishment establishment of the United States. The Native American celebrations take place in December January or February, typically in relation to the winter solstice around December 22. For the Hopi, the new year is welcomed with the Soiyal ceremony that lasts nine days and represents the second phase of the Hopi creation story. The Hopi dance is directed to turning the sun back toward the summer when life can flourish again. The Tuscarora and other Iroquois tribes celebrate a midwinter festival set during the first full moon after the winter solstice. This connects at the end of January, the beginning of February, and involves ceremonies in the long houses and collection and sharing of traditional foods considered sacred, like corn, beans, and squash. The Ulmtilla in the northwestern United States gather these traditional foods and recognize when their ancestors complete their lives and return to the earth. This is the way the ancestors care for their descendants. These ceremonies and others were considered important not only to the Native Nation's continued existence but to that of the world. But when officially declared war by the US Against Native American Native nations failed to destroy them, the US Next declared war against Native American tribal culture. If the US could destroy the culture, they could destroy the Native nations, they reasoned. And to that end, in 1883, Henry Teller of the Department of Interior sent a letter to Hiram Price, Commissioner of Indian affairs, and explained why he was imposing this new code of criminal offenses in the courts of Indian offenses operated by the Bureau of Indian affairs, where tribal nations had no court systems. This is what it said. Sir, I desire to call your attention to what I regard as a great hindrance to the civilization of the Indians vis the continuance of the old heathenish dances such as the Sun Dance, Scalp Dance, and others. These dances, or feast as they are sometimes called, ought in my judgment to be discontinued. And if the Indians, now supported by the government, are not willing to discontinue them, the agents should be instructed to compel such discontinuance. These feasts or dances are not social gatherings for the amusement of these people, but on the contrary, are intended and calculated to simulate the warlike passions of the young warriors of the tribe.
[00:22:08] The tone of this letter reflects the fear the United States had about the resilience of the Native Nations. Across the United States, Native nations had simultaneously started a revival of these dances and traditions and what looked to the military like preparations to retake the United States land that had been lost to colonists and settlers. To enforce this draconian lockdown of traditions, the letter then outlined categories of crimes and punishment. Participating in dances and ceremonies could warrant up to a month without food rations. Agency superintendents had the authority under this code to stop any practices that they felt were immoral or counter to furthering assimilation or genocide of Native peoples, Native nations and their people.
[00:22:59] Dances were specifically named but extended to any other dances or feast quote. The Sun Dance or the Scalp Dance, the War Dance, and all other so called feasts assimilating thereto shall be considered Indian offenses. And any Indian found guilty of being a participant in any one or more of these offenses shall, for the first offense committed, be punished by withholding from the person or persons so found guilty by his court his or their rations for a period not exceeding 10 days and if found guilty of any subsequent offense under this rule, shall be punished by withholding his or their rations for a period not less than 15 days and not more than 30 days or by incarceration in the agency prison for a period not exceeding 30 days.
[00:23:50] Further, any activities of a medicine man that tended to encourage participation in ceremonies was also criminalized. The usual practices of so called medicine men, this is again from the litter. Shall be considered Indian offenses cognizable by the court of Indian offenses. And whenever it shall be proven to the satisfaction of the court that the influence or practice of so called medicine man operates as a hindrance to the civilization of a tribe or that their quote, Medicine man resorts to any artifice or device to keep the Indians under his influence, or shall adopt any means to prevent the attendance of children at the agency schools, or shall use any of the arts of a conjurer to prevent the Indians from abandoning their heathenist rights and customs, he shall be adjudged guilty of an Indian offense. And upon conviction of any one or more of these specified practices or any other in the opinion of the court or an equally anti progressive nature, shall be confined in the agency prison for a term not less than 10 days or until such time as he shall produce evidence satisfactory to the court and approved by the agent that he will forever abandon all practices styled Indian offenses under this rule.
[00:25:14] But punishment was not limited to simply withholding rations. It was this code that led to the massacre at wounded knee on December 29th of 1890 on the pine Ridge Reservation. All because they were dancing the Ghost Dance, also the sun dance. Almost 300 elders, women and children were killed by the US army without.
[00:25:38] Without provocation, including the beloved elder Lakota chief Spotted Elk. Buried, frozen the next day from the killing field were 84 men, 44 women and 18 children. The leaders of the US army carrying out the slaughter of defenseless elders, women and children were awarded military medals of honor which have still not been rescinded or condemned to this day. Even during a week apology from Congress on the 100th anniversary of the slaughter in 1990.
[00:26:10] One might think that the United States would have seen the wickedness and the immorality of the slaughter of innocent people and quickly reject these codes of Indian offenses, but that would be wrong. It was not until 1933, when John Collier became Indian Commissioner, that the criminalization of dances and other traditional activities in the code were eliminated. Thereafter, there was interest in protecting Indigenous traditions maintained by a growing number of Americans. Yet it was almost a century before these laws would be officially superseded by legislature. Not until 1978 were these laws officially and legally superseded by legislation that removed the prohibition against Native Americans practicing their ceremonies and traditions. The American Indian Religious Freedom Act Today, the paddle for religious freedom and the practice of traditions and ceremonies tied to the land is still being fought for Native nations the First Amendment protecting religious freedom as analyzed by the US Supreme Court continues to fail Native nations today. Native Americans and Native nations have reestablished or continued their ceremonies and celebrations of the winter solstice and its relationship to the New Year. If you are fortunate enough to be in the Albuquerque region, some of the Tiwa Pueblos have opened their New Year ceremonies to the public. Anywhere you might find individual Native Americans incorporating tribal traditions into the New Year celebration with a collection of sacred food, collecting squash, corn and beans, their traditional three sisters to share with family and friends is a Good start to 2025. Happy New Year.
[00:28:02] What I want to share this with you.
[00:28:07] And this is From Chuck Hoskin Jr. He is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation and he says for many decades the United States attempted to destroy the proud culture of Native American nations. One of the darkest aspects of this campaign played out at Native American boarding schools. Throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, thousands of Native children suffered abuse, neglect and cultural erasure in these institutions nationwide.
[00:28:33] Many never returned home and some remain missing to this day. Our ancestors persevered through these attempts to break up families and destroy Cherokee values. Today we honor their sacrifices by proudly restoring our legacy. The Cherokee Nation recently achieved a landmark victory by reclaiming the deeds to five historical boarding school era day school sites. After after four decades of negotiations with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Yes, one of the many things that Deb Haaland has done to continue this moment of restoration represents a profound step toward justice and healing for Cherokee communities, especially our precious elders who lived through this troubling era. The Day Schools Ballot Mulberry Hollow Rapid Trap Oak Hill Piney Oaks Mission and Red berth Smith span 84 acres across five counties. These sites, seized by the federal government more than a century ago, are deeply rooted in Cherokee history, yet they carry a painful legacy tied to the US Government's efforts to forcibly assimilate Cherokee children. The return of these lands within our reservation represents a significant opportunity to reclaim and redefine their purpose.
[00:29:52] Now properly back under the stewardship of the Cherokee Nation, these lands will serve a higher purpose as places for culture, safety and community for tribal citizens. They will be integral to our goal of revitalizing rural areas inside our 7,000 mile reservation with broadband access, elder services, language centers and spaces for cultural and community events. We have already started making plans at the Oak Hill Piney site. Using funding under our Historic Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities act, we will work with the Oak Hill Piney Community Organization to build a new community building on that property. That type of investment can both memorialize the history of the day school of the day school sites and help ensure a bright future. These communities deserve all what all communities should have. A safe place for children to learn, families to gather and elders to be cared for. The deed transfers were finalized in a signing ceremony with BIA officials. And we are grateful for the federal agency staff who understand the cultural significance of this partnership. The effort is also part of the Cherokee Nation Repatriation Project, an initiative dedicated to reclaiming cultural patrimony and historical properties for the tribe. Other recent successes include the return of the Cherokee Advocate printing press and hair samples of Native children from Harvard University's Peabody Museum. Make no mistake, Cherokee Nation is committed to honoring our past and reclaiming what was lost. In the end. Cherokee control of these former sites is about more than addressing historical injustices. It's about empowering communities and honoring the resilience of those who endured the boarding school era. These five sites now stand as iconic symbols of long delayed justice and the enduring spirit of the Cherokee people. The return of this land to our nation represents the restoration of identity, dignity and hope for generations of Cherokees to come. And again, this came from Chuck Hoskin Jr. Who is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. And so much of this has been the work of Deb Haaland. And she'll be leaving soon and next week I'm going to share just so much that she has done in the past four years for her people. I'm going to close with a song about Indian and proud of it and indeed we are, whatever nation we're from, from the tip of the Arctic to the very tip of the Antarctic.
[00:32:53] We are proud.
[00:32:55] I'll be back next week. Keep your ears tuned to the Mud.
[00:33:01] This has been a k Mud podcast. To listen to other shows and more episodes of this show. Find us on all the platform platforms where you get your podcast and also on our website, kmud.org.
