NCAI

Army Continues to Parade Wounded Knee "Battle" Streamer

At the recent EPA Administrator's Annual Award Ceremony held on April 12, 1999 in Washington, D.C., the Army color guard was invited to participate as part of the all services military color guard. The U.S. Army flag with all its battle streamers was paraded, along with other service flags displayed at this ceremony of honor. The army battle streamers included a streamer which is inscribed "Pine Ridge 1890-1891". This "Battle Streamer" refers to the Army Campaign in November to January of those years. This streamer honors the only significant military action during that period: the Massacre at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29, 1890 on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. American Indians were insulted and offended by the Army's display of this streamer, particularly Indian veterans, due to federal government's lack of cultural awareness and sensitivity.

So proudly the Army displays its flag with over 170 battle steamers at the Pentagon, White House, West Point Military Academy, museums and Army posts throughout the world. The Pine Ridge battle streamer has the highest number of Congressional Medals of Honor (20) of all the steamers including Normandy, Battle of the Budge, and Iwo Jima. According to the Army, the Secretary of Defense authorizes which battle streamers will hang from the flag. The Secretary could have the streamer removed if it was not connected to the 20 Congressional Medals of Honor. For this reason, the permanent removal of this offending streamer would take congressional and presidential action.

The following was retrieved from the Army History web site www.army.mil/cmh-pg/reference/iwcmp.htm and is the official citation for the battle streamer on the Army flag:

"Pine Ridge, November 1890 - January 1891. Accumulated grievances, aggravated by teachings of an Indian prophet named Wovoka, who claimed to be the Messiah, brought about this last major conflict with the Sioux. General Miles, commander of the Department of the Missouri, responded to a Department of Interior request to check the rising ferment by ordering apprehension of the great Sioux leader, Sitting Bull, who was killed during the attempted arrest at Standing Rock Agency on 15 December 1890. Meanwhile, large numbers of Sioux had been assembling in the Bad Lands, and a serious clash took place at Wounded Knee Creek on 29 December 1890 between Col. James W. Forsyth's 7^th Cavalry and Chief Big Foot's Band with considerable losses on both sides. Almost half the infantry and cavalry of the Regular Army (including elements of the 1^st, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th Cavalry and the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 7^th, 8^th, 12^th, 16^th, 17^th, 20^th, 21^st, 22^nd, and 25^th Infantry, as well as the 4^th Artillery) were concentrated in the area, and in January 1891 the warriors were disarmed and persuaded to return peaceably to their reservations."

Native Perspective:

The "accumulated grievances" were the result of the government's consistent failure to keep it's word. The Lakota were forced into relinquishing large tracts of land in exchange for treaties that were not honored. Rations, as part of treaty agreements, were cut in half. Most of the people associated with Big Foot were on the verge of starvation. According to the federal government, Wovoka received most of the blame for the massacre; however, he never claimed to be the Son of God. His spiritual power was recognized among the Paiutes and in many ways he did play a central role in the Paiute teachings associated with the Ghost Dance, but, he never was considered a messiah. The misinformation in this citation goes on to say that there was a serious clash with considerable losses on both sides. In truth, the casualty figures do not bare this out. The official report to the Secretary of War listed Army losses as 6 killed in action and 16 wounded in action. Furthermore, most of the Army's casualties were the result of "friendly fire" and the Army's ill conceived use of large Hotchkiss guns in the massacre. In a letter to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs dated March 13, 1917, Lt. Gen. Nelson A. Miles stated, "not only the warriors but the sick Chief Big Foot, and a large number of women and children who tried to escape by running and scattering over the prairie were hunted down and killed". The official reports make the number killed 90 warriors and approximately 200 women and children. Needless to say it was the Indian losses that were considerable. The actual number killed in Big Foot's Band has been estimated closer to 350.

In 1990, the 101^st Congress passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 153, citing Wounded Knee as a massacre. Even Lt. Gen. Miles recognized Wounded Knee as a massacre. Gen. Miles continually referred to it throughout his life as "the Big Foot slaughter". During the entire history of the United States Army this was the only massacre where the Congressional Medal of Honor was awarded. How in all good conscience can we validate Congressional medals that honor those who partook of this shameful episode in the history of our country? How can we continue to honor this massacre by allowing this particular battle streamer to be displayed on the Army's flag? It dishonors the integrity of the other battle streamers and insults those Indian people who serve in this nations armed forces.

In November 1997, NCAI passed two resolutions : #SFE-97-121C and #SFE-97-123C, calling for the permanent removal of this offensive "Battle Streamer" and that the names of those members of the U.S. Seventh Cavalry who participated and received Medals of Honor for that action be stricken from the Medal of Honor Roll and to call the action what it was: a massacre. For all the reasons described above NCAI recommends that tribal governments and federal agencies avoid the inclusion of the Army flag and its battle streamers in any public functions as long as the Pine Ridge battle streamer is included.

NCAI would like to thank Bob Smith, Oneida of Wisconsin, and Maurice Eben, Pyramid Lake Paiute, for their contributions to this update.