Wounded Knee--December 29 1890
The icy wind blows through the trees
The Lakota tribe brought to its knees
Red stained snow marks the shame
No one left to take the blame
History of a settlement marked in blood
Euphemized for the common good
In all of time the land defiled
with the spilled blood of a native child
In Washington the politicians sleep
But I know why the willow trees weep
125 years ago today
AUTHORS NOTES
Wounded Knee
(December 29 1890)
The day was icy cold as winter gripped
The Lakota Sioux were on their reservation
The division of the 7th cavalry
arrived to disarm the tribe
the weapons were handed over
in general compliance to the order
An older tribesman was deaf
he did not understand
and refused to give up his rifle
insisting he paid much money for it.
In the altercation his rifle was discharged
The cavalry started firing indiscriminately
at the mostly unarmed Lakota
the few remaining armed tribesmen
were quickly suppressed
men women and children
were killed and wounded
Blood covered snow
strewn with bodies
was the final scene
in all at least
150 men, women and children
of the Lakota tribe lay massacred
some state the number to 300
The bodies of the Lakota
were buried in a mass grave
later twenty cavalrymen of the 7th
were awarded the Medal of Honor