West River Eagle

Memorial ride honors historical losses and sacrifices



Chief Big Foot’s band of Minneconjou Lakota took flight from Standing Rock Reservation to Wounded Knee in December 1890.

A tragedy older than Pearl Harbor or 9/11, the Wounded Knee Masacre is a “a wound that must be addressed and remembered so it won’t fester,” according to a 2011 article in Indian Country Today.

This year marks the 32nd time riders have mounted their horses and retraced the steps of their Lakota ancestors as they struggled with the impending reality of the United State’s oppressive acts against Native tribes, which were enforced by the U.S. military.

Wounded Knee stands as just one of many injustices that Native people learn about, but that many people in the U.S. are not taught in their history classes.

As with any national atrocity, remembrance begets healing and seeks to teach younger generations lessons from the past that, if heeded, could save lives in the future.

Bigfoot riders strike out on their 191-mile journey from Standing Rock to Wounded Knee.

The riders stop at the site of Cheif Sitting Bull’s murder before traveling to Wounded Knee, where the U.S. Calvery shot down 250 to 300 Lakota.

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