Standing Bear Network Statement:
Êkwa nîtisânak, (and so, my relatives)...
The recent decision by Defense (War) Secretary Pete Hegseth to uphold the Medals of Honor given to soldiers of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre has caused deep pain and outrage in Native communities and beyond. More than one thousand voices have come forward in response to this news, and Standing Bear Network carries these words with respect and responsibility.
Themes that emerged from our people’s voices:
• Anger and Grief: Many spoke of this decision as a betrayal — a fresh wound on top of generations of silence. They reminded us that Wounded Knee was no battle, but the slaughter of iskwêwak (women), awâsisak (children), and ê-mâmaskâwiyiniwak (ordinary people) who only sought to live.
• Truth and Justice: Commenters called the medals a stain on the very idea of honor. They demanded that the truth be recognized: the Medals of Honor cannot cover genocide.
• Education and Memory: Many said this moment should be used to teach our young ones and the broader world what really happened, so that no one can pretend it was “valor” or “bravery.” Survivors’ testimony and the voices of our kêhtê-aya (old ones) must be remembered.
• Calls for Action: People called on Congress to legislate the removal of these medals if the Department of Defense will not act. Some asked that this be tied to preserving the massacre site and continuing to share its history with future generations.
• Truth and Justice: Commenters called the medals a stain on the very idea of honor. They demanded that the truth be recognized: the Medals of Honor cannot cover genocide.
• Education and Memory: Many said this moment should be used to teach our young ones and the broader world what really happened, so that no one can pretend it was “valor” or “bravery.” Survivors’ testimony and the voices of our kêhtê-aya (old ones) must be remembered.
• Calls for Action: People called on Congress to legislate the removal of these medals if the Department of Defense will not act. Some asked that this be tied to preserving the massacre site and continuing to share its history with future generations.
• Solidarity and Healing: Many wrote in solidarity, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, saying that healing cannot begin when injustice is still celebrated.
As a grandfather I say this:
There is no honor in massacre. Pimâtisiwin (life) is sacred, and the slaughter of innocents can never be valorized. To keep these medals is to reward genocide, and it dishonors every soldier who has ever truly lived and died with courage.
There is no honor in massacre. Pimâtisiwin (life) is sacred, and the slaughter of innocents can never be valorized. To keep these medals is to reward genocide, and it dishonors every soldier who has ever truly lived and died with courage.
The voices of over one thousand people tell us the same truth: this decision is wrong. Yet their voices also remind us of our strength. Our people have carried this memory for over a century, and we will not be silenced now. Wâhkôhtowin (kinship) teaches us that the women and children at Wounded Knee are still our relatives. Their memory is our responsibility.
Standing Bear Network stands with the Oglala Lakota, the descendants of Wounded Knee, and with all Native Nations in calling for justice. The truth of that day will outlive political proclamations. The fire of our people’s memory will not be extinguished.
Mîkwêc to all who spoke. Together, we lift the voices of the ancestors and carry the teaching forward: there is no honor in murder, and the medals must be revoked.
8 comments:
The Ludlow Massacre was a mass killing perpetrated by anti-striker militia during the Colorado Coalfield War. Soldiers from the Colorado National Guard and private guards employed by Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF&I) attacked a tent colony of roughly 1,200 striking coal miners and their families in Ludlow, Colorado, on April 20, 1914. Approximately 21 people were killed, primarily miners' wives and children. John D. Rockefeller Jr. was a part-owner of CF&I
250 to 300 Lakota people
The Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890 resulted in the deaths of approximately 250 to 300 Lakota people, primarily women and children. The massacre occurred on December 29, 1890, when U.S. Army troops attempted to disarm a group of Lakota, leading to a tragic conflict that marked a significant moment in the history of Native American resistance against U.S. policies.
Where's the massacre? On CNN, ABC, CBS or NBC.
Violence is always met with violence. Rioters on our city streets creating chaos who get hurt immediately begin crying like F G S. You morons were told by your gods the democratic party to fight. So if you get hurt or die tough. Earn it!
This is complicit racism. They were in power then, they were in power 80 years ago, they're in power now. . .but we can crush them. They're weak! That's why they're gathering generals and placing Military on the streets to back up Charlie's TACO'S private police. They deny science, they deny racism, they deny the economic problems in America. We can grind these bastards, let's do it. Call it loud, clap back, and call them on their unethical and immoral stance.
That ditch needs to be deeper to fit all the criminals in this country who had previously been given a free pass by the corrupt democrats.
The descendants of the murderers are the same ones
vilifying illegal immigration today. The real savages were the perpetrators.
I guess in your opinion our country was better off when it was run by the autopen? The communist party previously the Democratic Party has brought tough times to our country because of their poor policies. Why would the communist party refuse to approve a clean continuing RESOLUTION?
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