Native Americans condemn Pentagon move to preserve Wounded Knee medals | News

The Battle of Wounded Knee, also called the Wounded Knee Bloodbath, happened in South Dakota in 1890.

The Nationwide Congress of American Indians has strongly condemned a Pentagon evaluate that determined in opposition to revoking medals awarded to US troopers on the 1890 Battle of Wounded Knee, an occasion which many historians think about a bloodbath.

“Celebrating battle crimes isn’t patriotic. This resolution undermines truth-telling, reconciliation, and the therapeutic that Indian Nation and the USA nonetheless want,” Larry Wright Jr, the Congress’s govt director, mentioned in an announcement issued on Saturday.

US President Donald Trump’s secretary of protection, Pete Hegseth, mentioned in a video posted on X late Thursday {that a} evaluate panel had beneficial permitting the troopers to maintain their medals, in a examine accomplished final 12 months, and that he adopted that suggestion.

“We’re making it clear that they deserve these medals. This resolution is now closing, and their place in our nation’s historical past is not up for debate,” Hegseth mentioned.

The defence secretary criticised his predecessor for not making the identical resolution, saying that the previous Pentagon chief was extra taken with being “politically right than traditionally right”.

The Wounded Knee Bloodbath

The Battle of Wounded Knee, also called the Wounded Knee Bloodbath, happened on December 29, 1890, in South Dakota, when US troopers killed and wounded greater than 300 Lakota Sioux males, ladies, and kids.

The occasions at Wounded Knee marked the tip of the Indian Wars, throughout which Native Individuals have been coerced into ceding their lands after which pressured onto reservations.

Lloyd Austin, who was defence secretary within the administration of US President Joe Biden, had ordered a evaluate of the army honours, however had not made a closing resolution earlier than leaving workplace in January.

In 1990, Congress handed a decision expressed “deep remorse” for the battle.

“It’s correct and well timed for the Congress of the USA of America to acknowledge … the historic significance of the Bloodbath at Wounded Knee Creek, to precise its deep remorse to the Sioux individuals and particularly to the descendants of the victims and survivors for this horrible tragedy,” the decision mentioned.

Hegseth has taken goal at variety, fairness and inclusion efforts on the Pentagon since he took workplace.

The Pentagon has ended commemorations of identification month celebrations, like Native American Historical past Month and Black Historical past Month.

The Pentagon drew hearth earlier this 12 months for briefly erasing on-line references to the Navajo Code Talkers, who developed an unbreakable code that helped Allied forces win World Conflict II.