Michelle and I, with many relatives, are reclaiming a history nearly erased after Wounded Knee. Here you’ll find our timelines, family lines, sacred belongings (including the tragic lock-of-hair loss), and ways to help.

 

A living archive. We’re migrating older posts and organizing documents so descendants can use them. Pages will change as we add, correct, and connect records. Thank you for your patience.

 

Why this matters

In 1868 our ancestors signed the Fort Laramie Treaty. Within years the promises were broken - rations skimmed, and after gold was discovered the Black Hills were seized. In 1890 the Wounded Knee Massacre claimed Spotted Elk, the Minneconjou leader of our people, and hundreds of our relatives. The famous photograph of his body in the snow became a symbol to many. But because it was labeled “Big Foot,” it erased his true history and continues to confuse him with a different Oglala man who held a completely different stance. That misnaming is a second harm we work to correct.

 

It was terrible enough that Spotted Elk was killed at Wounded Knee but the ongoing erasure of his identity is a travesty. The “Big Foot” in some books and captions is not Spotted Elk. He was an Oglala sub-chief, regarded as "friendly" to the government at the time. His outlook (christianized) and alliances differed from Spotted Elk (Minneconjou) - and that confusion continues to erase Spotted Elk’s true story. 

Some historians, authors, and filmmakers - often with good intentions - have unintentionally told the Oglala Big Foot's (aka Ste Sitanka) story under story under Spotted Elk’s name.

They have used photographs of this Oglala Headman and his wife, taken by Alexander Gardner in 1872 during a Red Cloud delegation not knowing Red Cloud and these other men and women were Oglala, not Minneconjou. A few Oglala community narratives have also contributed to the mix-up and this has caused the Spotted Elk tiospaye great grief but our goal is repair . . . to name the right person, cite the records, and provide the documents so anyone can verify.

 

 

What we do now (besides trying to live our lives)

• Research, preserve and teach our Lakota history and traditions
• Document family trees, probates, and oral histories
• Collect and digitize photos and records
• Share our findings with verified descendants
• Advocate to rescind Medals of Honor given for the massacre
• Focus advocacy on issues directly tied to Wounded Knee
• Advocate to build an accurate memorial for each person lost or surviving by piecing back together, the families
• Maintain a comprehensive Wounded Knee database
• Correct the confusion with the Oglala “Big Foot”
• Create contemporary, non-ceremonial art and beadwork that keeps culture alive

 

 

This is a grassroots, family-led effort built over decades of unpaid work. It has taken sacrifice, resilience, time, patience, and love - but we must prevent the erasure of our history. There are ways you can help. Please visit our Support Options page to learn how you can contribute your skills, access, or a gift.