Lakota oppose copters at Wounded Knee

Lakotas Prevent Blackhawk Helicopters from Landing at Wounded KneeToday at just past noon Central Time, three US Army Helicopters attempted to land on Lakota Sacred Burial grounds at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. The helicopters were from the Seventh Cavalry which were historically remnants of General G.A. Custer whose troops were defeated at Little Big Horn in one of the many battles the United States as they waged a war of attrition and genocide on Native Americans after the Civil War.

They were met with peaceful but firm resistance, as Lakota (Sioux) Women and Children stood immobile on that Sacred Ground, preventing the gross, unspeakable insult of 7th Cavalry choppers to Land on the same ground where more than 300 Murder Victims lay Buried.

A Lakota Mother said, "I cannot believe they are doing this, have they (7th Cavalry) NO Respect for Our Dead?"

Evidently the 3 helicopters and brass in charge did not know their history, and what a unspeakable insult it was to the residents of Pine Ridge, Wounded Knee and the Lakota People; to have the ACTUAL Seventh Cavalry choppers attempt to land on this Sacred Ground.Comment:  I'm not sure if people realize this, but capitalizing letters at random doesn't make your writing any stronger or more emphatic.

The video doesn't quite match the description above. One helicopter landed, then took off. Two others flew by overhead. There's no indication why the copters performed as they did. No indication that women, children, or others were protesting or that the pilots noticed them.

Whether it happened exactly as described or not, it's an interesting bit of political theater. I'm reminded of James Cameron's comment about how the 19th century's Lakota would be disappointed with today's Lakota. They might be proud if this was the scene they saw.

For more on the subject, see Review of Wounded Knee and Remembering Wounded Knee's Victims.