Wounded Knee () is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 364 at the 2020 census.

The town is named for the Wounded Knee Creek which runs through the region. The bones and heart of the Sioux chief Crazy Horse were reputedly buried along this creek by his family following his death in 1877. The town lies within the Pine Ridge Reservation, territory of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux).

History

On December 29, 1890, in the same area, in an incident known as the Wounded Knee Massacre, the United States 7th Cavalry killed more than 300 men, women and children who were being relocated to the Sioux reservation at Pine Ridge.

On February 27, 1973, during the Wounded Knee Occupation, the American Indian Movement (AIM) occupied the Pine Ridge Reservation near Wounded Knee in protest against the federal government and its policies related to Native Americans. A 71-day standoff between federal authorities and the AIM ensued. The group members surrendered on May 8.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the census

See also

  • List of census-designated places in South Dakota

References