American Experience

We Shall Remain: Wounded Knee, Pt. 5 of 5

On the night of February 27, 1973, fifty-four cars rolled into the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Within hours, some 200 Oglala Lakota and American Indian Movement activists had seized the few major buildings in town. The occupation of Wounded Knee had begun. Demanding redress for grievances--some going back more than 100 years--the protesters captured the world's attention for 71 gripping days.

What Was the Occupation of Wounded Knee?

1m 49s

In February 1973, Native American protesters occupied Wounded Knee, South Dakota, site of the last Indian Wars massacre.

  • What was the American Indian Movement? : asset-mezzanine-16x9

    What was the American Indian Movement?

    S21 E9 - 38s

    Founded in Minneapolis, in 1968, by young urban Indians fed up with police harassment, the American Indian Movement fought for Native American rights.

  • Taken from Their Families: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Taken from Their Families

    S21 E9 - 2m 43s

    For many decades, Native American children, some as young as 5, were taken from their families and brought to government-run boarding schools.

  • The Relocation of Native Americans: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Relocation of Native Americans

    S21 E9 - 1m 51s

    Most Native Americans do not live on reservations. This is largely due to the fact that the government thought one way to solve the Indian problem was to relocate Indians from the reservation to the bigger cities. Over 100,000 Indians were relocated in just 15 years.

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