Seven Days of Survivance

The past week has been an eye opening experience. Much of what we discussed in class has been continually glossed over in American History courses. When I learned about the battle and Wounded Knee creek before, it was told from the point of view of a white american explaining why the massacre was necessary and just. The government has always been resistant to owning up to its mistakes. Just like the relocation of the Japanese during World War II was pushed under the surface, so has the massacre of the Sioux tribe.

Acknowledging the massacre as genocide could be politically crippling to the US. How can we slap others on the wrist for these actions, when it has happened right under the American public’s nose? It would hypocritical and I think that many politicians know that by renouncing the massacre at wounded knee creek as genocide, would make it impossible to help those in need now.

What upset me most about the video this week was just how much the government didn’t care about Native American position. They simply didn’t want to get bad press and merely wanted them off of wounded knee creek. What amazed me was just how close both sides were to reaching an agreement, but fell apart out of sheer arrogance. Neither side would admit defeat and in reality, it wouldn’t have been difficult for the government to meet the AIM movement’s demands. The lengths the government went to stop the AIM movement, but wouldn’t sit down and have hearing with them. They used spies to infiltrate wounded knee, brought massive amounts of military power, and all the Oglala Lakota wanted was to do point out the terrible things that were going on beneath the surface. Much of what they wanted to do was shed light on the corruption that most of the american public did not know of. The government took the take over as an attack, but violence was the only way to get the government’s attention at that time.