Wounded Knee

Description: The small town of Wounded Knee has gone down in history primarily because of two historical events. First, the massacre of 300 Lakota by the 7th U.S. Cavalry took place here in 1890, which led to the final break in the resistance of the Lakota against their white adversaries. On the other hand, the place was occupied in 1973 by activists of the American Indian Movement. They demanded the removal of the Pine Ridge Reservation government. The latter considered them corrupt and held them responsible for the economic decline of the reservation. The occupation gained international attention, among other things, when Marlon Brando, who sympathized with the occupiers, refused his Oscar for the role in 'The Godfather' in protest.

The site of the massacre is preserved as a memorial by the members of the Pine Ridge Reservation to this day. There is a plaque on which you can read the sequence of events. There is also a museum in the small town where you can learn more about what happened. In addition, it is possible to visit the small cemetery where some of the victims of the massacre are buried.

Our rating: We don't usually feel uncomfortable anywhere in the US. Wounded Knee, however, was such a place. We had the feeling that tourists are tolerated here at most, because some money is expected from them. Unfortunately, the museum was closed during our visit in June 2017, although the opening hours said otherwise. We would have really liked to see that.

Wounded Knee is certainly not a must see, but we think this historical place certainly deserves a visit.