Members of the American Indian Movement took over the town of Wounded Knee on Feb. 27, 1973, starting a 71-day occupation on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The standoff with the U.S. government — which grew out of turmoil within the Oglala Sioux Tribe as well as a protest of the federal government’s treatment of Native Americans — became violent at times, and two Native American men were killed. The siege sowed divisions on the reservation, and also left a lasting impact on members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the future of Native American activism. On the 50th anniversary of the start of that occupation, The Associated Press is republishing a 1973 story by reporter Terry Devine.
Please note the language used to describe members of the American Indian Movement. AP Style is to no longer use the term “Indian” as shorthand for Native American.
