The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act. It now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for a signature.
The act preserves 40-acres of land on the Pine Ridge Reservation where hundreds of Lakota were massacred by the U.S. Army in 1890.
The bill grants continued outright ownership of the land to the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The two tribes purchased the land together in 2022, and signed a covenant saying the land should be held and maintained as a memorial and sacred site.
The act includes some protections to the land, like restricting taxation from state and local governments. If signed by President Trump, it would also prohibit the land from being sold unless agreed upon by Congress and both tribes.
The bill was first introduced by Sen. Mike Rounds in 2023. It was reintroduced this year and co-sponsored Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Rep. Dusty Johnson introduced it in the House, where it passed in January.
