On Friday, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) pushed back on the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) decision to retain the Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers involved in the Wounded Knee Massacre on December 29, 1890. This decision announced on Thursday disregards the well-documented truth of a brutal, unprovoked massacre carried out by the 7th Cavalry against the Lakota people—and ignores the moral obligation to confront past injustices with integrity.

Wounded Knee was not a “battle.” It was the deliberate mass killing of more than 350 unarmed Lakota men, women, and children who had sought refuge at Wounded Knee Creek. Contrary to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s claim that these medals are “no longer up for debate,” the event is widely recognized as a historical atrocity. This includes acknowledgment by historians, Tribal Nations, and even the U.S. Senate, which expressed its regret through Concurrent Resolution 153 in 1990. By preserving these medals, the DoD perpetuates the injustice and deepens the pain felt by the victims' descendants and Native communities across the country.

These medals should never have been awarded. In 2024, the DoD initiated a formal review of the medals, but despite decades of advocacy by tribal nations, historians, and members of Congress, this week’s announcement confirms the medals will remain. NCAI stands in solidarity with the Lakota Nations, Tribal communities, Native veterans, and active-duty service members—who serve the United States at higher rates than any other demographic—calling for the correction of the historical record and the alignment of our highest honors with our highest principles.

NCAI echoes the powerful voices of tribal leaders whose communities continue to bear the intergenerational trauma of this horrific event.

“Secretary Hegseth’s decision is another act of violence against our Lakota people,” said Chairwoman Janet Alkire, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. “The Wounded Knee Massacre was an unprovoked attack on men, women, children and elders who had been rounded up by the military. As Indian people, we know what bravery and sacrifice means. We serve in the military at greater rates than any other group in the United States. I served in the Air Force with men and women who were brave and served with honor. The actions at Wounded Knee were not acts of bravery and valor deserving of the Medal of Honor. There is nothing Hegseth can do to rewrite the truth of that day.”

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