Controversy Over Medals at Wounded Knee: A Historical Reckoning

The National Congress of American Indians issued a strong condemnation on Saturday against the Pentagon's decision not to revoke medals awarded to U.S. soldiers for their actions in what is widely recognized as the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. Larry Wright Jr., the Congress' executive director, stated that celebrating such events as patriotic dishonors historical truth.

Held on December 29, 1890, in South Dakota, the Battle of Wounded Knee resulted in the deaths and injuries of over 300 Lakota Sioux individuals at the hands of U.S. soldiers. Although a review of military honors was initiated by former defense secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration, no final decision was reached before he departed office.

Former Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, under the Trump administration, asserted in a recent video that a panel had recommended retaining these medals, a decision he upheld as final. Hegseth criticized Austin for prioritizing political correctness over historical accuracy, while a 1990 Congressional resolution expressed deep regret for the massacre.

(With inputs from agencies.)