MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — Legislation aimed at preserving land at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre has unanimously passed the U.S. Senate and now heads to President Trump’s desk for final approval.
The Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, would place 40 acres of land at the massacre site into restricted fee status. The designation ensures the land will be jointly held by the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe for future generations.
Rounds said the passage marks the culmination of nearly three years of work. “The Wounded Knee Massacre represents a devastating low point in U.S.-Lakota relations,” Rounds said in a statement. “The land at this symbolic and sacred site will now be held in possession of both tribes to be preserved for future generations. We will continue to tell the story of this dark day in our nation’s history.”
The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2025 and received unanimous approval in the Senate this week.
Rounds first introduced the legislation in June 2023. Leaders from both tribes, including Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Ryman LeBeau and Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out, testified in support of the bill before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. After earlier delays, Rounds reintroduced the bill in January 2025 during the 119th Congress.
The measure is cosponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and companion legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Dusty Johnson.