Native American leaders are denouncing the U.S. Department of Defense after it upheld military honors awarded to soldiers who took part in the deadly 1890 Battle of Wounded Knee massacre in South Dakota.
According to Newsmax, the National Congress of American Indians criticized a finalized Pentagon decision that rejects calls to revoke battlefield commendations from soldiers involved in the massacre, marking a significant setback for advocates of historical justice and reconciliation.
On December 29, 1890, U.S. soldiers killed and wounded over 300 members of the Lakota Sioux tribe, including men, women, and children, in what is now known as the Wounded Knee Massacre. Occurring in South Dakota, this tragic event marked the end of the Indian Wars and forced Native Americans onto reservations through violence and coercion.
The Pentagon completed a recent review to reconsider the military honors given to participants in the Wounded Knee operation. This review was initiated by former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin under former President Joe Biden’s administration, but was left unresolved when he exited his post in January 2025. Earlier this week, current Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who served under President Donald Trump, released a video on the social platform X announcing his decision to support the review’s findings, which recommended no changes to existing honors. Hegseth said he was solidifying the panel’s conclusion and that the soldiers "deserve those medals."
Decision Draws Outrage From Tribal Organizations
The announcement triggered immediate outcry from Native organizations. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the largest and oldest organization representing tribal nations in the United States, strongly expressed its disapproval.
In a statement, NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright Jr. accused the Pentagon of glorifying a violent chapter in American history. “Celebrating war crimes is not patriotic,” Wright said. “This decision undermines truth-telling, reconciliation, and the healing that Indian Country and the United States still need.” The battle, frequently referred to by historians and Native communities as a massacre rather than a military engagement, has been long associated with tragedy and systemic injustice. In 1990, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution formally recognizing the event’s historical importance and expressing “deep regret” to the Sioux people, particularly the descendants of victims and survivors.
Hegseth Accuses Predecessor of Political Motivations
Hegseth, a former Army officer and television personality, framed his action as necessary to preserve history. In his video message, he accused Lloyd Austin of choosing not to act “because he was more interested in being politically correct than historically correct.”
“This decision is now final, and their place in our nation’s history is no longer up for debate,” Hegseth said, emphasizing his intent to close the matter permanently. His remarks have been viewed by critics as dismissive of community efforts to acknowledge ancestral suffering. While Hegseth pointed to the historical record as justification for maintaining the awards, scholars and tribal members have long classified Wounded Knee as the killing of mostly unarmed Native civilians. The location has become a symbol of deep pain and injustice for generations of Indigenous Americans.
Pentagon’s Broader Cultural Changes Scrutinized
This latest decision is part of a broader shift under Hegseth’s leadership at the Department of Defense. Since taking office earlier in 2025, he has rolled back multiple diversity and heritage recognition programs that had been promoted by previous administrations. Among those changes was the discontinuation of months designated to celebrate the history of underrepresented groups, including Native American History Month and Black History Month. These initiatives had been widely supported by service members and cultural advocates seeking to increase inclusion within the military.
Furthermore, the Pentagon faced backlash earlier this year after briefly removing content honoring the Navajo Code Talkers, a group of Marine Corps fighters who developed an unbreakable communication code during World War II. The deletion was soon reversed after public criticism.
Historic Reckoning and Reconciliation Efforts Set Back
The Wounded Knee Massacre has long stood as a case study in the struggle for historical recognition and justice. While no official government apology has been issued, the 1990 Congressional resolution was an effort to formally acknowledge the tragedy's legacy.
“It is proper and timely for the Congress of the United States of America to acknowledge... the historic significance of the Massacre at Wounded Knee Creek,” the resolution read, expressing “deep regret” to the Sioux community. However, critics say such symbolic gestures require policy follow-through to be meaningful. Advocates for revoking the medals argue that the material honors given for the Wounded Knee campaign contradict both the spirit of the resolution and modern standards of military conduct and accountability. For many, the continued existence of these awards is a painful reminder of unhealed national wounds.
Native Leaders Vow to Continue Advocacy
Despite the Pentagon’s final ruling on the matter, Native American groups have pledged to keep pushing for justice regarding Wounded Knee and other similar episodes in U.S. history. The NCAI and other tribal alliances plan to reignite public awareness and legislative efforts addressing historical military actions against Native populations.
Some legal scholars and activists are now calling for new legislation that would grant Congress the authority to revoke or review military decorations tied to events deemed morally or ethically problematic in hindsight.
