Native Americans condemn Pentagon move to preserve Wounded Knee medals
Undated studio portrait of Si Tanka, "Spotted Elk," whom the U.S. Army dubbed "Big Foot" for the oversized shoes he wore.
Native American Leaders Condemn Pentagon Decision to Keep Wounded Knee Medals
The National Congress of American Indians has issued a strong rebuke of the Pentagon’s decision to uphold military medals awarded to U.S. soldiers who fought at the 1890 Battle of Wounded Knee, a clash widely regarded by historians as a massacre.
“Celebrating war crimes is not patriotic. This decision undermines truth-telling, reconciliation, and the healing that Indian Country and the United States still need,” said Larry Wright Jr., the group’s executive director, in a statement released Saturday.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, announced the decision in a video posted on X late Thursday. He explained that a review panel had completed its study last year and recommended allowing the medals to remain in place — guidance he formally accepted.
“We’re making it clear that they deserve those medals. This decision is now final, and their place in our nation’s history is no longer up for debate,” Hegseth stated.
He also criticized his predecessor for failing to act, accusing the prior Pentagon chief of being “more interested in being politically correct than historically correct.”
The Wounded Knee Massacre
The event took place on December 29, 1890, in South Dakota, when U.S. soldiers killed or wounded more than 300 Lakota Sioux men, women, and children. The tragedy marked the end of the Indian Wars, during which Native Americans were forced from their lands and confined to reservations.
In 1990, Congress formally acknowledged the atrocity, passing a resolution expressing “deep regret” to the Sioux people and the descendants of the victims.
Pete Hegseth has consistently criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives since assuming his post. The Pentagon has since ended recognition of heritage observances, such as Native American History Month and Black History Month.
Earlier this year, the Department of Defense also faced backlash after online references to the famed Navajo Code Talkers — whose unbreakable code was pivotal to the Allied victory in World War II — were briefly removed before being restored.
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